New is not the way?

A

adkdave

Active Member
Apr 26, 2020
137
Pittsford, New York
I bought a new PUP in 2019 and have taken about a dozen trips in 2 years and on almost every trip I have had something come loose or broken. Nothing major yet, just little annoying things like a screw loose or the vent door of my H2O heater flying off along the interstate just to name a few. On my last trip I discovered the rear passenger side does not have a functioning turn signal or brake light. If you were to execute these manufacturers for being good craftsmen you would be killing innocent men.
 
Tarkus

Tarkus

Active Member
Aug 15, 2021
138
Casper, Wyoming
Just talk to any Coleman owner with an ABS roof! Agree.gif

I sware, my popup was constructed by drunk sailors on shore leave.
It's all better now after pulling out misaligned staples, replaced with screws.
ABS roof replaced with steel siding.

I still have work to do to make it more livable. Getting there.

Flipping Burgers.gif
 
davido

davido

Super Active Member
Jul 17, 2014
1,426
When mine was brand new, the problems were:

  • One of the drawer's slides hadn't been affixed, so the drawer just hung in its slot.
  • The water filter was screwed to the bulkhead with tiny screws that couldn't withstand the amount of twist force needed to open / replace the filter.
  • The swing kitchen's swing bracket was attached with undersized screws that only held up through two or three up/down swing cycles. I had to replace them with larger ones.
  • One of the screws holding the canvas into position wasn't screwed into anything.
  • Two of the screws on the power receptacle for the air conditioner were screwed into nothing.
  • The cover over low pressure propane quick connect didn't stay closed on its own.

I took care of them all myself rather than towing the thing back to the dealer.

Before long I had to: replace the sink drain hose, and a few other screws. And it seems like over time I'm always fixing something.

There are going to be problems with new, and other sorts of problems with old. Quality of workmanship is pretty bad, and although maybe it's worse now, it's been bad for a long time. People slap these things together quickly, and mostly just follow some instructions. They have no investment in the company or the product. They're just the people who showed up to work a low paying job today. The answer is probably to pay people enough to attract those who will care, and hold them to a standard. But the marketplace is constantly pushing for cheaper prices, the dealers want to make their cut, the salespeople get their commission, the factories get their portion, and in the end, quality suffers because they can get away with it.
 
Sneezer

Sneezer

Super Active Member
Aug 8, 2015
3,083
DFW, TX
It has been that way for years, but got worse over covid. I shudder to think how bad the quality must be now for dealers to be complaining. Then again, this is just capitalism. Owners found a way to capitalize on the demand for RVs, so push as many out as possible. Blame the supply chain for problems, RV gets stuck at the dealer for several months waiting on parts to fix the issue which benefits the manufacturer as that is several months of no use which prevents other warranty claims.

Everyone wants to make a buck, doesn't matter what industry it is. If I was in the market for something right now I would just get a tent.
 
Ger

Ger

Member
Apr 24, 2021
53
Boston MA
I’ve had to deal with a few issues on our 2021 Coachmen Clipper like missing components / parts, a hole in the bed end canvas, a self releasing bed slide out (so much fun at 2 in the morning), snapped draw strings on the blinds, GAPING holes in the floor, a stepper door that doesn’t seal to the roof when not popped up, missing keys for the stepper door, a roof ven that won’t latch closed and the build quality is just terrible. And don’t get me started on the whole buying experience from the dealer. But I’m sure I’m not alone.
 
neighbormike

neighbormike

Super Active Member
Gold Supporting Member
Oct 6, 2012
4,166
WI
@Ger you are definitely not alone! These problems have been around much longer than “these trying times”. Even if buying new, I tell people to plan on spending (at least) the first year working “bugs” out.
 
Ger

Ger

Member
Apr 24, 2021
53
Boston MA
neighbormike said:
@Ger you are definitely not alone! These problems have been around much longer than “these trying times”. Even if buying new, I tell people to plan on spending (at least) the first year working “bugs” out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, definitely a learning experience. I’m glad I have this forum and YouTube to help guide me through the various fixes and improvements. Whatever manuals are provided (it’s all online now) are not very helpful either as they are just manuals for each component rather than anything holistically, like a step by step process on “how to winterize your camper” just doesn’t exist.

I went into this anticipating something akin to a car buying experience! Boy was I wrong! I contacting the manufacturer directly about things stated in the manual and they tell me something that contradicts the manual. Just an odd experience overall, but I have just done my own thing and fixed / modified the camper as I see fit based on all my research like adding outlets, lights, storage options etc. I am getting there though and we do love our camper!
 
neighbormike

neighbormike

Super Active Member
Gold Supporting Member
Oct 6, 2012
4,166
WI
Definitely different than buying a car! These things are built poorly and sold (largely) by people who have never camped. A camper buyer really needs to be “a little handy” lol! YouTube is your friend, as is this site.... still takes some “weeding out” and judgement.
 
P

Patrick w

Super Active Member
Aug 13, 2021
763
Its strange that the manuals are written only slightly more coherently than the included instructions in my amazon packages.
 
firepit

firepit

Super Active Member
Feb 26, 2020
2,820
Some of the stuff laughable...Pick a manufacturer and look at the terrible uneven caulk lines or
better yet look inside the cabinets at all the saw dust and wire clippings that i guess would take too much time for the factory to vacumn up.
All the trim in my (2019) is stapled on...I guess finish nails take too much time?
It must be rough on the workers who aren't allowed to have pride in the simple things like caulking... fastening trim
and vacumning up after themselves.
Step inside my 19 vs the 87 i gave to my niece and you can feel the difference in quality beneath your feet as you walk.
Then start opening cabinets and sitting on the cushions and it's pretty clear...They don't make em like they used to!
 
Ger

Ger

Member
Apr 24, 2021
53
Boston MA
firepit said:
Some of the stuff laughable...Pick a manufacturer and look at the terrible uneven caulk lines or
better yet look inside the cabinets at all the saw dust and wire clippings that i guess would take too much time for the factory to vacumn up.
All the trim in my (2019) is stapled on...I guess finish nails take too much time?
It must be rough on the workers who aren't allowed to have pride in the simple things like caulking... fastening trim
and vacumning up after themselves.
Step inside my 19 vs the 87 i gave to my niece and you can feel the difference in quality beneath your feet as you walk.
Then start opening cabinets and sitting on the cushions and it's pretty clear...They don't make em like they used to!
Click to expand...

Yeah, the fit and finish is really bad and the general construction poor. I’ve added several small metal angles on the inside of the framing of the seats as the staples pulled out or the screws had split the wood they were supposed to be screwed into. And the mess inside the cabinets (especially the ones not meant for daily access) was a joke. The wiring is atrocious too both inside and out. Under the camper are wires that run through holes in the frame and immediately adjacent are wires going OVER the frame with ribbed plastic shields on them. Quite why all the wires couldn’t have all been run through the holes and clipped together is beyond me.
 
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