At repair shop, RV needed one new axel, not two. Said NO to second, wasn't needed at all. Shop replaced one, problem solved. Shop owner bills for two - or no warranty with just one replaced. Disputed with VISA. Won! Especially after the shop tech who did the job called out the shop owner in front of me, loudly, backed the customer, packed up his tool boxes and QUIT on the spot. Still rolling just fine...
Having worked in the RV industry for a time, I see why there are problems. I worked for a custom RV builder for a time. The whole process is long and drawn out, and breeds its own problems. Just to begin, a chassis is ordered. Most times, this is what is called a cutaway van. When that arrives, it goes to a body builder to get a body added to it. Now, you have two manufacturers involved BESIDES the RV builder. When the vehicle returns from the body builder, the crew goes to work. Flooring, carpeting, appliances, furniture, and cabinetry is added. Much of this needs to be custom built to fit the vehicle. Appliances come from any number of manufacturers. Stove/oven from one place, refrigerator from another, furnace from another, and so on. Plumbing has to be installed. Cabinets are generally custom built to the unit. This all takes time. By the time the RV reaches completion, some components may be literally years old! Most appliances are standard sizes, and are kept in stock by the RV manufacturer, but they may sit on a shelf or in a warehouse for extended periods of time before being installed and put into use. Sometimes a brand new RV has a 3 year old chassis. This all raises issues with warranty coverage. Example: if you but an appliance like a stove or water heater and keep it in your garage for several years before actually installing it and putting it into service, how willing will a manufacturer be to deal with a defective part in a 3 year old appliance - even if that appliance has not been used until recently? This is the type of problem that commonly arises with RVs. Also note that most RV dealers are not equipped to do more than minor repairs. Manufacturere are better equipped as in the case of the custom shop that I worked for, but even then, in general manufacturers of components are responsible for defects in their product. That makes it complicated to assign responsibility. In the meantime, everybody is pointing the finger at somebody else and saying "not my problem."
The same thing happens with homes. I had a gas valve go out on a water heater, and investigating, I learned that the heater was five years old when the builder installed it. It was still barely (like weeks) under warranty.
Got a couple stories about RV experience: 1. My aunt and uncle were traveling to an RV park to meet us for Thanksgiving, pulling a travel trailer. A tire blew on the trailer, taking out the bottom of their kitchen cabinets and scattering pots, pans, silverware, etc all over the road/shoulder. It also damaged the connection that controlled their slide-out and a water hose to their sink. 2. My dad has a 40ft RV bus. It got stuck in the yard about 3 years ago and hasn't moved since. He purchased the RV about a decade ago using a large part of his retirement, then ran out of retirement and hasn't gotten a job since. The bus is currently rotting from water intrusion. 3. I was remodeling an old Class C RV a few years ago. The internal walls and some of the outer walls were rotten, so I ripped all the internal walls out and carved out the rotten spots on the external walls. I placed the appliances and whatnot in a box truck for storage, and the AC unit didn't work so I took that off as well. I placed a large tarp over the roof to keep rainwater out. And then Hurricane Michael came through and turned the project into a debris field. Nothing left but the chassis. Don't buy an RV. And if you absolutely have to, don't be poor. And know how to fix things yourself.
Re: Tires. Even though the thread looks good, check the date code, and replace tires more than eight years old. Check 'cold' air pressures frequently to manufacture specs as outside temp affects air pressures. Also, when storing the RV, put tire protector covers on to shade from ultraviolet sun damage.
@@S.Clause You would be correct on the first two. My aunt and uncle chose to ride on old tires, which resulted in a predictable outcome. My dad is a layabout who is constantly begging me for money, and it's a crime that he's letting that bus rot away. But the last one, neither you nor anyone else can convince me to drive an RV on decade-old tires with no internal support and holes in the roof and walls hundreds of miles to avoid a category 5 hurricane that literally blew up in less than 3 days. Until the day it hit, they were downplaying the projected strength of the storm, assuring everyone that it wasn't going to be that bad, resulting in very few evacuations before it hit. To speak nothing of the horrors that followed in the weeks after. At least we were able to use its fresh water tank to shuttle water from the city so we had drinking water.
A friend of mine, “Freddy”, bought one, a motor home, to tour with his band. He took it to a specialist for inspection and the specialist found so many flaws with it. The cabinets were never properly bolted in place at the factory, cheap quality hardware everywhere, the electrical panel and system was a joke, a fuse would blow just from running the A/C and the microwave at the same time. That specialist went to work, and made it safe as well as functional to operate. For ten years, Freddy’s band toured twice a month without any major incidents regarding their RV. Freddy sold it after the band broke up about ten years later, but he got a good price for it, as the upgrades made it worth the deal.
I have on word from a good friend down under that RVs in Australia are the exact same thing as here, except for one small difference: There, when you watch your money going down the drain, it swirls the other way. 👍
I also bought a RV in 2017 it was the one I had done my research on and the color scheme I wanted. After the test drive I opened very area looking for defects nothing major. I made a list and spoke with the sales woman and said call me you these fixed and I'll come back and if its fixed I'll buy it. She said that's not how it works in the RV industry, We don;t fix factory issues before you buy it. I went to 3 other RV dealers and the all said the same thing. I never bought an RV.
had a person ask me for help with an electrical fault. finally found there was a sealed junction box on the bottom of the RV, with a completely open back, and non weather rated connections inside. water splashed up from the road, and into the back of the box, where the sealed cover kept it inside the box shorting out the connections. they could have just as easily put that junction box inside the storage cabinet and protected it from splashing water.
Built a Skoolie from an '87 e350 diesel..easy to work on myself and because School buses are built to rigorous federal standards, it's a super solid body and frame.
I used to deliver campers from manufacturers to dealers. They are all junk. When you arrive at the dealership you have to walk around with their intake person. You make a list of everything that is wrong to be repaired. I've seen cabinets on the floor when I got there. It's always a lengthy list. Several manufacturers have a sign out front that says no drug testing.
I was one of 9 salespeople that shared the intake/check in task and we hated it. I would also on occasion go for factory (Fleetwood) training and have to drive a new coach back to NH from IN. We would make a list of things that fell off, broke and didn't work during the ride home. If buyers could see what was inside the walls of a $150K motor coach they would stay away in droves.
@@johniwan1 we had a driver almost get killed. Was delivering RV to Little Rock and as he took the exit to the dealership the overhead huge storage bin fell and hit him in the head. Knocked him out. Crashed the RV. When they investigated none of the screws that were holding up the storage area were in anything structural. Just the fabric.
This is why the idea of converting a well-built cargo trailer into a camper in the US is becoming a bigger deal. Way cheaper, can build it exactly how you want it, and the build quality will more than likely be better and last longer.
That's exactly what I did. I started with a 30' low profile gooseneck and stick built the box on it to residential code. It doesn't have slide outs or anything like that but, it does have a/c, residential appliances, plumbing/fixtures and wiring. It'll probably outlive me but, until I'm gone, if anything goes wrong with it, I can fix it.
Unless you do it yourself then theres a good chance youll gey caught up in this same kinda mess.. like the schoolbus thing in the us where the company takes a schoolbus and hacks it up to turn it into a expandable rv with wood floors and all the bells n whistles but that company ended up doing this same stuff to people and same excuses..
If you don't have the skillset to work on a RV, don't buy it! There are many things that can damage an RV and 70% of those damages are caused by improper use. Second, don't buy a new unit and take off on your adventure without taking it on a shakedown cruise first. Third, study the manuals and do your best to educate yourself about RV's. You will be amazed at how much you have to know to make your RV ownership enjoyable.
You pretty much have to inspect everything on day one and immediately start repairing things yourself before the water intrusion from half-assed assembly starts degrading it right off the assembly line.
I once worked for the motor home accessory industry. We would fly to all the RV get togethers to fix stuff. People go to those things because all the techs show up there to do just that. Brand new units that were non functional. The only things more non functional than the motor homes were the people. Fun fact about the multi million dollar units is that they have electric stoves that only work plugged in or on generator because they know people that rich don’t cook.
After researching RVs and all their expensive appliance issues, I decided to build my own out of a cargo trailer. No propane appliances to deal with. And it’s more stealth like. People don’t realize it’s an RV. This trailer is mainly a fire escape trailer due to all the forest fires, it can be hooked up in seconds and at least you have lodging, a kitchen, and a roof over your head. Put in a solar battery system and you’re all set even if the SHTF.
I have an RV (fifth wheel), and it's best to just work on them yourself. If there is something like a gas leak, or whatever, individual RV repairmen can be hired who are qualified. The industry is definitely not turn-key. It might even be best for most people to build their own "tiny home". Then they'd at least know it inside-out. It's tough.
When I was growing up my parents had a '72 Winnebago they'd bought when it was about 2 years old. RVs were much simpler then and made sturdier. Other than a starter solenoid you could count on going out every couple years that thing was as reliable as you could ever ask. So I have good memories of that RVs and wonderful memories of the trips we took. But I'd never buy one now. Have friends that did and in every case it was just one broken thing after another until they got fed up and sold it.
@@SkylineFTW97 : well, this was almost 60 years ago- - my dad bought an old extra long school bus (up in the mountains of PA) and converted into an RV - - that we lived in for a summer. He was an electrician and knew construction - - from not only jobs after WWII, but also did a lot during WWII in the USN. It held up very well, while dad went with all of us (6 kids, plus mom and dad) to Texas for a electricians job. Then he got an even better job in Arkansas, so we moved in it again. When he finally sold it, the local people who bought it, were very pleased because he had taken good care of it all those years.
Bought and sold a 2020 28 foot Toy Hauler last year. I couldn't believe how poor the quality control was on nearly every component. Was glad to get rid of it while the market was still hot, it was JUNK!
I bought an RV about 3 years ago. It is almost twenty years old. I live in it full time, I've had issues here and there, but I can rely on it to get me where I'm going. The repairs I have made, have been pretty simple and not too expensive. If you get an RV, you should be a fairly handy person, because finding an RV repair person can be hard, expensive, and take a long time. If you know what your getting into, it can be an awesome experience.
Bought a 26' - 96 Damon Challenger just about a year ago. She needed the brake lines replaced, my mechanic said "No Problem! " Give them a week...... After 6 months, 2 mechanics, and a fight w AAA, I finally had brakes. I knew NOTHING about RV's but I knew I was done w/ 70 hr work weeks, mortgages, & selling my life in exchange for 2 weeks of freedom. I now live in my RV full time w my two dogs. It's been anything but smooth but life is all about the adventure!!!!
Bought a $4K camper trailer in Australia when lived there. Was one of the best decisions we made. Basically a 7'x5' with a tent on the top of it. There was not much that would go wrong with it that the guy that assembled it could not fix, nor if he went out of business not much that I could not fix. Sold it to a friend when we left and they are still using it today, more than a decade later and loving it. Basically I think a low end RV could be well worth it for many....but mid to high do seem like a huge risk.
Caravan manufacturers have been having a field day while Aussies were locked down and international travel stopped due to the pandemic. Prices through the roof, wait times for a build slot stretching out over a year. They just been churning them out and of course quality has gotten even worse.
I heard all of this when my parents had issues with their campers. My mother jumped at the chance to sell their camper during lockdown. They got much more than the trade in value and more than they paid for it.
I bought a new RV last year having watched Steve for years. I will say unequivocally it has been an excellent experience. I’ve had the lithium batteries replaced under warranty and I’ve stayed at National parks with my family. We witnessed the sunset at Glacier Point with our van and it’s experiences like that will last a lifetime.
Full-timed in a 39-foot Class A for over 4 years, and I can attest to all of the stories Steve spoke of and others. A recall on my engine, while in a state with no dealer capable of repairing the engine. Losing the generator and having to cope with needing to run the engine for power when stopping. Had to replace the refrigerator in the first 90 days and then deal with the leaking windshield, which is how the double door had to go in and out, and it took the repair place 3 tries to get it replaced correctly. The only difference is I planned for a breakdown every quarter on the idea that an RV is a house in a constant state of an earthquake, and I knew things would break. The other side of that is, traveling with kids, having a bed, TV, bathroom, microwave, and refrigerator within 30 feet at all times makes it so much more convenient that it far outweighed the issues with repairs and breakdowns
Just in case you ever do another video involving them we refer to the ACCC as the A triple C in Australia. Love the stories BTW, keep up the awesome content 👍👍🇦🇺..
"Should this be found unsatisfactory you must send it to the factory -- and the factory is in Japan, so lots of luck!" Verse from song "Lots of Luck" by Alan Sherman
Back in the early '70s we were living the highlife with a VW camper van. One summer my parents drove us from Anchorage to Edmonton and back over the ALCAN highway, around 2000 miles each way. Back then the ALCAN was still mostly gravel. My 3 siblings and I were young enough that there was enough room for us all to be comfortable during the drive. It was quite the adventure. We never had any problems with that VW camper van, it held up well over the years. As an adult now older than my parent were back then it's hard to imagine doing that again.
RV considerations:: A single tow experience, even a few miles, will be a cool $1000. When it breaks and you don't fix it the labor costs will be over $100hour. A few years ago I had a rock somehow hit my fuel/water separator, break it off and I was stuck in the nowhere of the Sierra's. Luckily I had a friend behind me. A mere 16 hours later we had the $6 part needed and installed it. Imagine if it had been towed 50 miles to a town and then worked on at a shop!! $2000 minimum. So an RV needs to tow a car so when the RV breaks you can have a way out. I had a 35' Winnebago Vectra Diesel ...turbo charged Cummins with a 6 speed Alison. That combination is the best you can have. But it means nothing when the above happens. So I sold the Winnie. Just a pick up and a tent for me. One More Story:: I had to live in a 29 foot trailer in 1999. I happen to be home when the schrader valve just popped out of the water pressure tank. It shot out a stream of water at 40psi. The trailer was 2 years old. If I had not been home it would have ruined the Mallard trailer in half an hour..... All those popular trailers are made with Particle Board. A little water does a lot of damage. The Vectra was ALL Oak, no particle board.
A lot of trailers use 'luan' (a thin, cheap plywood veneer) behind the aluminum or fiberglass exterior. The better RVs use 'Azdel', which is a trademarked, synthetic composite material that is waterproof, will not rot or mold, has better thermal insulation and sound deadening characteristics, and is less dense. If I get an RV, it MUST NOT use wood in any part of the substructure other than perhaps a thick plywood base for the floor. Even that wood should be 'Marine grade' so that the glue does not delaminate if it gets wet. Azdel would be a MUST in the walls/siding.
difference between caravan and RV (what we also call motor homes) is the caravan are detachable trailer towed by your regular car. hence it can cost less than half as much as an RV, there's some major advantages over an RV which are reason why Australia has so few RVs: - Cheaper (it does not comes attached to a motor engine at the front, it's just a hard shell tent or shed that you pull with your own car) - modular and adjustable (they have tons more options, you can have extendible areas or even those that opens up with a tent area on the side or back more than doubling the area once you are on the camp site) - detachable (set them up at the camp site and go off driving around exploring with your car for the day, when storing them at home you can just shove them in backyard or side, it's not a motor vehicle you have to maintain as much) - upgradeable ( it's completely separate unit to your car, for all the reasons above you can change them out, sell them or trade them in much more easily than an RV. same goes for your car if you need to upgrade that or if it breaks down and needs to be towed off you can get another car to tow the caravan and continue on)
I listened to 15 minutes of this... Yes I can relate. We bought a certain Canadian off road edition travel trailer. Problem after problem. The day after we bought it, we started having brake problems, pulled into a RV sales repair location, with out even looking at the unit, proceeded to tell me that the problem was my brake controller. I explained that I had been using it for 3 years and it worked just fine, nope your wrong he said it is your brake controller. I got upset and left, limped the trailer 150 kilometers to our home. After some time passed did an inspection and found that the brake wires had rubbed on the tire hubs and shorted . The table broke, there were 2 recalls that they would not just send the part to replace ( one was a gas regulator) easy to replace, but wanted us to bring our trailer in, again 150 klms, park it on their lot for 2 weeks just to see if the regulator was faulty. The curtain divider literally fell out of the ceiling, tv mount was loose, shoddy craftsman ship. I WILL NOT buy this brand.... You are 100% correct, we very much got the feeling they DO NOT care once you sign. Just writing this ticks me off, we drove for 9 hours to the place we bought it cause they acted as though they were our friends.. Nope, the service and warranty part does not want to be your friend. Very frustrating and difficult...
This year, for my Class B RV, I've worked on: 1. the water pump (replaced it after repairing the 3-year old one failed) 2. the positemp shower valve (new one on order after the 3-year old one failed too). Issue is not related to the water pump replacement. 3. re-wired the propane emergency cutoff (Corrosion damage in the connectors) 4. power step (replaced it since the 3-year old step wasn't serviceable). It had seized. Since I can work on my RV myself, I've saved a lot in terms of $$ and frustration if I had to take it to an RV dealer. Most of the RV is holding together well but it wasn't designed to be serviced.
I am Australian in Australia. I will try clear some of this up. An RV is generally regarded as a large motorhome similar in size to a Winnebago, or Fiat Ducato, a small motorhome is a campervan, VW Kombi size. A caravan is a home towed behind a car but with a solid frame and roof. You can get a caravan with a smaller side but a canvas skirt and pop-top roof. A camper trailer is a box trailer towed behind a car with a canvas tent folded for travel but when stationary at a campsite, folds out to an extended tent.
Our 1966 Scotty Gaucho camper is VERY low tech. So there's very few items to go bad. The worst would be a tire blowout but we make sure to keep quality/fresh trailer tires on it.
As someone who lives full time in my RV and travels the country, if you're thinking of doing the same, I'd highly recommend saving up a rainy-day fund for when your RV has to be in the shop. Also, look at your RV Insurance policy carefully - sometimes they do pay certain amounts for hotels and rental cars. Aside from staying at an extended-stay motel, always carry a couple suitcases with you so you can pack the essentials and travel to a friend or family's place. If your insurance pays for a rental, you can even get a tent and continue camping and exploring and having fun, you just won't have all the features of the RV. State Parks are good for that as they almost always have water, showers, and restrooms.
Steve the A triple C (thats how we pronounce it down here), has legislation that makes the SELLER responsible for the breakage they have to get it fixed, and if they cannot they are required at law to repair it of refund the total price of the caravan, the Microwave breaks they seller has to make it good, they are responsible with dealing with the Microwave companies warranty. same with any component. This is National Law. The ACCC has recently put RV manufacturers and sellers on Notice that they will start aggressive prosecutions because the Industry have been blatantly misrepresenting Statutory Warranties tp purchasers and who is responsible for repairs. An example of their abilities is the recent case where Toyota may have to pay out Billions in relation to particulate filter failures including losses on trade in valuations!
Add 20% Vat tax. Add 25% Fuel tax. Add 50% for insurance against ACCC claims. Now wonder why your piece of sh** (fully warranted) pop-up camping trailer cost more than your house, takes forever to get possession of, and still breaks down just as often, takes even longer to get repaired and ruins your vacation every time just like the old days.
@@deconteesawyer5758 our VAT (called GST - Goods and Services Tax) is 10% here. The fuel tax is 22.1c/litre, then the GST is added on top but I'm not sure why that would impact the purchase price rather than just running costs. I will agree that having the ACCC would probably increase the price as well, both for legit and bogus reasons - they will have to build things properly (thus more expensively) but also might be dinged for a warning label being the wrong size/shape/colour etc
@@InfestedTemplar My bad. I was looking at UK stuff from the BBC. Government fuel and sales taxes directly impact the cost of all services, and there would surely be a lot more services and parts running required from the dealer to provide full coverage. Anytime the government gets involved costs go up. If you hear"I'm from the government and I'm here to help." it is time to run, not walk away. Nothing is free as they claim, certainly not expanded government powers and agencies.
Stralya mate... Swag - A canvas bed you role out on the ground you sleep in. Camper - A box that goes on the back of a ute (pickup) that you can live out of whilst travelling Camper trailer - As above but is towed behind a vehicle (most are built for off road) Caravan - A tow behind trailing live in box, modern ones have AC, toilets and showers as well as satellite TV. Fifth Wheeler or goose neck - As above but hitches onto the tray (bed) of a Ute (pickup). RV - Self propelled caravan. Love listening to you from Australia Steve.
Seems to me that by the time you buy the unit, pay for maintenance, insurance, increased gas costs, storage and overnight camping fees. It would be cheaper to rent high end motel rooms when traveling.
I would try renting an RV before buying one, and I'd be buying used, not new. Walmart used to let RVs park overnight at the back of the parking lot, but I have heard that's been curtailed due to people dumping trash and draining the sewage tanks. The homeless have been blamed for much of that, but some Walmarts have decided not letting RVs stay overnight is the best solution.
Love your work Steve. Locally we call ACCC the A triple C Having played a small part in the supply chain of 'caravan' parts and also being a keen observer at caravan shows. There are some units that are structurally solid, maybe even overkill and would last forever, coming with a massive price tag, and then others built to a much lesser standard overall. All of the brands compete by filling the vans with as many chap and nasty Chinese accessories as possible. Cheap, nasty and even inadequate solar systems, just for advertising kudos. Lots of accessories and fittings, lighting, shower doors etc.. all break and fall apart frequently. It's a terrible industry here, really needs a shake up... Seems very much similar to the issues in the US.
This is exactly why I'm building my own RV. I'm converting a 40' bus into an RV that will be better built and more reliable than any ready-made S+S (sticks and staples) RV. Seeing what happens to most RVs after they're in accidents, even quite minor ones, is a sobering reality check: essentially they just turn into kindling, with splintered wood and ripped plastic all over the road. My bus is all-metal, designed for several decades of heavy-duty use, with a true heavy-duty engine and drivetrain, and enough weight capacity that even when it's fully loaded and ready for a trip it will still be a few thousand pounds under its GVWR. It's a lot of work to make it the way I want, but it will be worthwhile. I'm always shocked how badly designed and made are the RVs in the storage yard where I keep my bus - I know I can make something better, much better.
I was debating whether to buy an off-road trailer RV to pull behind my Grand Cherokee, or a rooftop tent. I'm thinking rooftop now. Thanks, Steve. You da' man! ❤👍
Back in the 30s the teardrop camper was largely a result of the same pressures, folks gave up and just started building their own. No point in wasting time with a dealership. They don’t do anything anyway.
My husband and I are multiple RV owners, we learned to fix them ourselves. We now own a motorhome my husband made a seperate breaker just to plug it in. It sits in the driveway not running. My husband was hurt at work so it sits, and sits hopefully we hit the lottery I am going to find someone to fix all of the issues. We looked at new ones, they were not as nice as the broken down one in the driveway.
Recently retired and must say the siren song of an RV purchase is very, very real. Have friends & family that have trailers; and all the typical issues. My wife and I justify NOT purchasing as follows. Start with a purchase price that depreciates $35K over 6 years. (The number is for argument sake. Could be double or tripple this; whatever floats your boat.) $35k divided by $175. per night in a hotel/motel is 200 nights. This divided by 10 nights per trip is, of course, 20 trips. 20 divided by, say, 3 (10-day) trips per year. And there's your travel housing budget. Ta-da... Much less stress/hastle in ones life. Thx for your post, Steve.
In the UK we have Caravans that are towed, Campers that are commercial van based and Motorhomes which are coach built on commerical vehicle chassis and a network of new and used dealerships that will repair most things if possible
After owning multiple RV's, (travel trailers) I can tell you that there isn't one worth the money you pay for it, that being said, you buy one with the exception of problems, that way you cant be disappointed.
Karavan... IDK if the trailers I deal with are the same company discussed here, but it's amazing the things I find on factory fresh never loaded Karavan trailers. But, once I fix them, I do stand behind that product. The basic metal work is great. It's things like wheel bearings, brakes and lights that are issues. BTW, anyone buying a Switch, check your brakes. That's failed my inspection on every single one that came through my shop, but was fixed by me. The funny part, they lock out the brakes at the factory, even though there is not enough brake fluid to keep air out and let the brakes actually apply.
I always appreciate your info. I'm actually wanting to buy a 5th wheel. Also known as a trail behind camper. I also happen to be a Master Appliance technician. I work on in home appliances. I have been called out to check appliances in campers. How they set those appliances up, makes my stomach turn and my vision to spin. After nearly 13 years of doing this job, and working on commercial and in home appliances, and factory appliance repair, those things make me scratch my head and wonder why the appliances were ever set up that way. Do not set up an appointment with local repair companies until you know for a fact that they can repair camper appliances. They are set up differently, they are held down with brackets so they don't tip over, and they don't have repair manuals that I am aware of.
As a kid we owned a caravan on a campingsite in Belgium(static), this way you rent the plot it is on and the site supplied the electricity and water(gas was in tanks), this was in the '60s and early '70s. We used it for long weekends and short holidays. We also had a flatback tent model towed behind the car for longer family holidays. Compared to today there's hardly any modern electronics lol. The caravan we had in New Zealand in the mid and late '70s was quite modern, she did have a microwave for example. I'm from Holland and I had a brilliant and wonderful time Steve.
My 2008 (bought new in 2010) 5th wheel had bad chrome plating on the slide out hydraulic rods. Took the cylinders out, replaced the rods with stainless parts. fixed. no dealer involved. Bad transfer valve on propane tanks. bought new one and installed it. No dealer involved. Bad circuit breaker for slide pump motor, bought new breaker, fixed it. No dealer involved. AC vents not hooked up, (poor installation practices) fixed with metal tape. More was wrong with it, but you get the idea. We were going to "tour the USA" when we retired, but wife passed from cancer. Sold the camper.
Being familiar with the issues of RV’s we are currently converting a 40’ rear engines steel structure bus into a home on wheels. Solar, 10kWh of battery storage, A/C, heat, full kitchen, bath, washing machine/drier, and more. Total budget $40k and even with cost increases are in line to meet our budget. And then we will sell out two houses and travel the country.
So I think one fix is to make the dealers fully responsible for the RV inside and out and let them deal with the different parts manufacturers regarding all the component warranties. Now parts availability is another matter, don't know how to fix that one...
I'm an RV transporter in the US. The dealer is responsible for construction, frame, siding, built in seating, plumbing (up to appliances and fixtures), and in most cases tires (this varies). When you buy your RV you get a big bag of paperwork, we call this the "Swag bag", and all the individual appliance and furniture warranties are inside. Now, in most cases, a good dealer will handle almost anything by dealing with the part manufacturer. This is for certain on parts like axles and frame (usually LCI, Lippert Components Inc) as they make most frames on large volume manufacturers. There is a saying, don't buy an RV if you can't fix stuff. Things break. GUARANTEED. You have a unit built one at a time, on an assembly line, that then races down the road at 70 mph. Or as we say, it spends its life experiencing hurricanes all the time, and earth quakes. Most people drive them like they stole them, then bitch when stuff breaks. BTW - I've been a full time RVer for 3 years. You don't do this lifestyle service at all. It's awesome, if you're willing to do the research and learn to turn a wrench.
I guess the the best RV is buy a used one and make it a project "DIY" use standard appliances from Home depot or lowes cheap microwave from Wallmart and definitely use plumbing parts that you can purchase from any local home center. Good luck out there!
Some of the RV repair shops will let you sleep in your RV until it needs to spend the night in the shop then you get a hotel. (This has happened to my parents who did travel the country 4 years. The biggest issue they found was you still have to have a permanent address and for shipping products/mail/ etc they would have it sent to their next planed stop location. It's quite different from a house.
Where I love to camp has RV sites at the bottom of the mountain, tent sites at the top. I'm almost 60 and still prefer a faraway site with my tent. I always look at the rows of RVs on our way up the mountain and wonder... It doesn't seem much fun to "camp" in what is basically a large parking lot. Smushed right up practically against each other. That's not getting away from it all - that's bringing it all with you!
One of my mates bought a new caravan, he has bought and sold a couple of second hand vans in the past. He decided to buy a new van ($80,000 au) . His first trip with the new van was only a couple of thousand km's , by the time he got home it had chopped out two of the four tyres. He sent it back to the dealer for repairs. He got it back but he could see the wheels were out of alignment. Another trip and the caravan leaked water into the cupboards. It was sent to an authorised repairer. It was there for a couple of months. It still leaked, after many phone calls and threats about going to the ACCC. The manufacturer bought the van back and promised to have a new van built for him. He got his new van after several months of waiting, so far only a few minor problems.
Either buy from a reputable boutique builder (if you can afford it), or build your own. I know several people either personally, or online that have converted things ranging from a cargo van to an old school bus into a hand made RV. Yes, it takes time, sweat, and money. But at least when it's done, you know who did the work, and can probably fix most build issues, because YOU did it! If i wanted an RV, i would build my own. That way i know it was done the way i want it done, and to the level of quality i want.
It's all up to the dealer. They have the capacity to deal with the RV manufacturer or the manufacturer of the broken appliance. Luckily I have only needed two repairs under warranty on one of the three campers we have owned over the years. My local dealer worked with me to make things right.
Part of the confusion is people think of RVs as vehicles. If you look at the plates in a lot of state it says "House trailer". Speaking as a residential contractor, yes if I build you a kitchen I warranty my work on the framing the drywall etc. And I might put the oven in for you, but I don't warranty the oven.
In early 2020i fantasized about getting an RV and touring America. But then I ran across your videos on the subject and quickly abandoned the fantasy. Now I just fly and rent. Problem solved. Thanks for all your good advice. BTW, I delivered the Detroit News back in the days before they had child labor laws.
this is so timely... I have some good friends that did just this. Stopped renting their house, bought a camper trailer to live in and travel. I'm jealous until I watched this.
So here in Australia we have the Australian Consumer Law. Wherever you purchase an item you are entitled to return that item for warranty repairs/replacement/refund. It's not legal to force a consumer to deal directly with the manufacturer of the goods. Apple got into a lot of trouble for this back in the early 2000s for refusing to accept warranty repairs via the original store that sold it. Much the same applies to the caravans/campers and the manufacturer and seller should be fined by the ACCC and Fair Trading NSW.
I do get very curious about usage and how they can possibly be worth the trouble for lots of people. I moved to this house 4 years ago, the neighbor 3 houses down has a pop up camper (caravan) in their driveway that to my knowledge has never been used in that period. I walk my dogs past several times a day, I’d have noticed it not being there. On the flip side, my parents have a canned ham camper they’ve had good luck with. They are retired and use it a lot. They had it long before COVID, and it was great in that period to visit people with limited indoor contact with 90 year old grandparents and the like. My dad has generally been able to fix stuff that goes wrong, but I can see more complicated models being an issue.
RV's built in last 5-6 years in US are very shoddy, and they weren't that good before either. Big thing is to find out everything that needs fixed right away and have dealer fix it. Our motorhome had the dash A/C not working and we fought between dealer and Ford place to who was responsible to fix it. And car dealers won't look at RV's so had to go to a Ford truck dealer.
I have had two travel trailers. You quickly learn that if things are going to get fixed you have to do it your self. You also learn that you have to keep up the maintenance.
My family had a 25' Superior motor home in the 1970's. That thing was built like a tank; Dodge engine/transmission/chassis, steel box construction with real automotive sheet metal, Ingersoll-Rand generator. The only plywood was in the cabinets. Not many problems, but it was so heavy that we got about 4.5 MPG, and that's on the highway. Pick your poison.
My first rv was a Isuzu truck chassis with a tilting cab for engine repairs filters and the like Trouble is the RV body rent over the cab thus the cab would not tilt. Simple steering hose leak 16 hours and specially made tools to do the job. They used silicon sealant on the stove to connect the gas. The seats were removed and the floor had to be cut out to do a service on the engine . then the floor was welded back in What a nightmare. Glad to see the back of that monster.
The are strange rules for roadside service too! If you call AAA for help on the tow vehicle and the trailer is attached even if you then disconnect they wouldn’t work on it!
Don’t buy a camper, be it a “motor coach/home” or a “caravan/trailer”, unless you use it typically at least once or better yet twice a month in order to get your money’s worth. Also, don’t keep them more than ten years as they are a vehicle, and vehicles typically aren’t meant to last more than ten years (particularly the American ones). Make sure you know someone who is mechanically skilled, to help you. You will probably have to replace or upgrade some features (a friend of mine had to replace/upgrade the electrical panel just so he could run the a/c and use the microwave at the same time without blowing a fuse), and you definitely need to inspect it for safety.
As a fourth generation automotive mechanic myself I feel very sorry for people who buy RVs and they break down because they’re also scammed and taken advantage of when they go on long road trips and break up town in different states are. Have a friend or work in RV cooking as a manager and he was a automotive technician and I can tell you from first-hand experience no qualified educated competent automotive technician would ever work for an RV company. RV companies seek out the lowest educated individuals unfortunately instead of diagnosing things things just get replaced instead of fixing. Things get broken when they’re fixing things or looking for the problem and then tell the customer what they just broke was part of the problem customer doesn’t know and has to pay for their mistakes learning on your RV. They pay their technicians some of the lowest wages that would never attract anybody qualified to work on vehicles in the first place. And if they have any smarts at all and they get a little bit good and they discover that they can never make any money working for an RV Center they leave to a real automotive repair facility to become an automotive technician. Analogy would be you need a liver transplant but instead of going to a well-known large surgical hospital. You go down to your corner meat market butcher with a dirty cleaver to operate on you. This is the difference between a truly skilled technical automotive technician in an RV Grease monkey parts swapper When you own a RV you have to be a automotive mechanic/general contractor/appliance repair person
Owner operated shops are the worst in the greed department. Not only do they take advantage of the young men they hire (low pay, cheap benefits), they try to take advantage of the customer as you described and more. I know one that low balls customers interested in selling their units due to "numerous, costly (exaggerated) repairs", makes a few minor repairs, details it then sets it out at an inflated price. He easily clears $250k take home a year just in resales.
@@LadyAdakStillStands Specially ignorance unqualified owner operators who can’t properly do the repairs themselves and incapable even if you held a gun to their head.
Best I can tell it's a drunk half-assed industry top to bottom. The sort of business one gets into when they don't really want to have to do things like be held to their word or work to keep the customer happy.
@@Broken_Yugo exactly 100% correct I didn’t want to say it that bluntly that that is the truth it’s one of those areas where you build houses but you did such a shitty job the industry in the community kicked you out of their industry for you got sued so you start making RVs where you can get away with ripping people off that’s the truth of it
As someone who can fix almost anything in an RV, I rarely have to buy my whiskey for camping. There’s always someone needing something fixed, and my fee is you go get a good bottle of bourbon, and these parts. I’ll get ya going. It’s never the smooth trips you laugh about around the fire for years to come, it’s always the WTF trips that become the stories.
Come on down buddy! Plenty of places to camp around here, and my RV has an issue despite being an all-around great vehicle. We'd be glad to spring for a bottle of bourbon :)
in nz we have the cga which means whoever sold you the camper is responsible to repair, replace or refund, lt would be up to the dealer to make a claim to the appliance manufacturer, for refund of costs for repair, australia has similar laws
I heard of similar thing with large trucks. I heard a dash board on a $2000 dash board breaking. Freightliner breaking Would not warenty. Freightliner did not make the dash an outside company did
Many problem occure through the RV builder using the wrong cab and chassis ( go the cheapest) that are under powered for what it is being asked to do thereby stressing everything to the max.
"huge rigs...gigantic...six-figure RVs"...that's us! we bought a "fifth-wheel toy hauler", and it's 45' long, for a total of 63' with our truck, when towing. Between the truck and trailer, the MSRP was right over a quarter mil. And yes, things have gone wrong. But we went in with open eyes, knowing things would go wrong. One recent one was discovering that the inverter, which lets you power AC appliances (like our residential refrigerator) from the batteries when not plugged in. Fortunately for us, despite the warranty on the inverter being expired, the RV manufacturer reps were able to get the inverter manufacturer to provide a replacement, and the RV guys did the R&R, all at no cost to us. A large part of this is that we were at a rally for that manufacturer, and a lot of people were getting "good will" work done, with vendors assisting. A neighbor got a whole new suspension (two other vendors, not the RV manufacturer), also well out of warranty. We currently have a failure in our Samsung convection/microwave oven. At first, the Samsung people sounded like they were taking it seriously, but now not so much, so we'll probably be on the hook for the repair or replacement. That's just part of what you get yourself into when buying one of these. The warranty usually turns out to be way too short and limited to be worthwhile. Your description of the lifestyle made me laugh, especially after part of our recent travels. We did sell our house (and cars, and one motorcycle, and a lot of other stuff, plus giving away a lot of stuff) so we could retire as full-time RVers. Not long ago, we spent a week in Colorado, then a few days in New Mexico, a few more in Texas, a week (or maybe it was two) in Louisiana, a month in Arkansas, and so on. We just started a month in a park in Alabama after time in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, and by January will be in Florida. I won't say this lifestyle is for everyone, but it works for us. You're right, RVs aren't as sturdy as houses. They're built to be lightweight and cheap, and then are frequently subjected to the equivalent of earthquakes, especially on some roads. While we're set up somewhere, our rig feels very sturdy, but that's illusory. One of the reasons we went the trailer ("towable") RV route, rather than the "drivable" RV route is just the sort of thing you're talking about with repairs. If we have a problem with our drivetrain, that's the truck. I take the truck to a dealer or other shop to be fixed, but still can live in the RV. The worst ones are "Class A", the type most people think of when they hear "RV", or especially "Motorhome", with the flat front, large windshield, kind of like a Greyhound bus design. Those generally can't be worked on much of anywhere but a specialized shop. At least with the "Class C" (built on a truck chassis, with an overhang over the cab), you can get most truck shops to work on them. I'd like to tell you all the ways you're wrong about how the RV industry works, but this comment section is too large to accommodate such a list. ;)
Like anything built on a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis. Some people love them and some people hate them. They get good mileage but are expensive to maintain. And you better get on that is pre DEF.
It sounds like that when all things are added up it becomes apparent that hotels & rental vehicles are cheaper , , , Or , camping in tents & bring along cooking & cooling equipment , , ,
OUR FAMILY HAD A POP TRAILER WENT ACROSS COUNTRY TWICE. IT WAS SIMPLE, NO STOVE NO FRIG.SLEPT 6. ..COOKED ON A POTABLE STOVE AND USED COOLERS..MY MOTHER GOT USE TO IT AFTER THE FIRST SMALL TRIP..I WOULD RENT ONE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE IT .NOT FOR EVERYONE.
If she don't find you handy don't buy an RV... Well I have had good luck with Jacyco brand fithwheel's from the 2006 an 2010 model years. I find them easy to maintain and repair and upgrade once you understand the systems.
I bought a used 35ft motor home in 2016. Guess I'm a lucky one. I used it as a home for jobs I took in other cities. Saved me a ton even with the maintenance it needed. I refuse to buy a trailer home. Mostly because I didnt want to buy an expensive truck to haul it. I'll downsize in a few years and enjoy what we have now.
After service in Australia for European or US parts is a nightmare for most vehichles. it takes months for shipment and the mark up is insane, thats why asian or japanese cars are more common.
@The Glorious White Male That's hardly this specific person's fault lol Also, they're much closer to China and Japan than we are in the states. If I order something from China I'm impressed if it gets the me before 2 months.
@The Glorious White Male I live balls deep in the sticks and haven't even had internet until a few months ago, so Amazon uses USPS or UPS to deliver to my house. I only buy from them when I have to, so I'm glad I don't have 2 day shipping because it's more of a deterrent for me to not buy from them. Yes I have seen that I can get the same products for significantly less also, I've never bought from Ali express or Alibabba, I thought they had quantity minimums?
At repair shop, RV needed one new axel, not two. Said NO to second, wasn't needed at all. Shop replaced one, problem solved. Shop owner bills for two - or no warranty with just one replaced. Disputed with VISA. Won! Especially after the shop tech who did the job called out the shop owner in front of me, loudly, backed the customer, packed up his tool boxes and QUIT on the spot. Still rolling just fine...
Having worked in the RV industry for a time, I see why there are problems. I worked for a custom RV builder for a time. The whole process is long and drawn out, and breeds its own problems.
Just to begin, a chassis is ordered. Most times, this is what is called a cutaway van. When that arrives, it goes to a body builder to get a body added to it. Now, you have two manufacturers involved BESIDES the RV builder. When the vehicle returns from the body builder, the crew goes to work. Flooring, carpeting, appliances, furniture, and cabinetry is added. Much of this needs to be custom built to fit the vehicle. Appliances come from any number of manufacturers. Stove/oven from one place, refrigerator from another, furnace from another, and so on. Plumbing has to be installed. Cabinets are generally custom built to the unit. This all takes time. By the time the RV reaches completion, some components may be literally years old!
Most appliances are standard sizes, and are kept in stock by the RV manufacturer, but they may sit on a shelf or in a warehouse for extended periods of time before being installed and put into use. Sometimes a brand new RV has a 3 year old chassis. This all raises issues with warranty coverage.
Example: if you but an appliance like a stove or water heater and keep it in your garage for several years before actually installing it and putting it into service, how willing will a manufacturer be to deal with a defective part in a 3 year old appliance - even if that appliance has not been used until recently? This is the type of problem that commonly arises with RVs.
Also note that most RV dealers are not equipped to do more than minor repairs. Manufacturere are better equipped as in the case of the custom shop that I worked for, but even then, in general manufacturers of components are responsible for defects in their product. That makes it complicated to assign responsibility. In the meantime, everybody is pointing the finger at somebody else and saying "not my problem."
The same thing happens with homes. I had a gas valve go out on a water heater, and investigating, I learned that the heater was five years old when the builder installed it. It was still barely (like weeks) under warranty.
Good shit👍🏻
Got a couple stories about RV experience:
1. My aunt and uncle were traveling to an RV park to meet us for Thanksgiving, pulling a travel trailer. A tire blew on the trailer, taking out the bottom of their kitchen cabinets and scattering pots, pans, silverware, etc all over the road/shoulder. It also damaged the connection that controlled their slide-out and a water hose to their sink.
2. My dad has a 40ft RV bus. It got stuck in the yard about 3 years ago and hasn't moved since. He purchased the RV about a decade ago using a large part of his retirement, then ran out of retirement and hasn't gotten a job since. The bus is currently rotting from water intrusion.
3. I was remodeling an old Class C RV a few years ago. The internal walls and some of the outer walls were rotten, so I ripped all the internal walls out and carved out the rotten spots on the external walls. I placed the appliances and whatnot in a box truck for storage, and the AC unit didn't work so I took that off as well. I placed a large tarp over the roof to keep rainwater out. And then Hurricane Michael came through and turned the project into a debris field. Nothing left but the chassis.
Don't buy an RV. And if you absolutely have to, don't be poor. And know how to fix things yourself.
Re: Tires. Even though the thread looks good, check the date code, and replace tires more than eight years old. Check 'cold' air pressures frequently to manufacture specs as outside temp affects air pressures. Also, when storing the RV, put tire protector covers on to shade from ultraviolet sun damage.
Sounds to me like these were all avoidable situations.
@@S.Clause You would be correct on the first two. My aunt and uncle chose to ride on old tires, which resulted in a predictable outcome. My dad is a layabout who is constantly begging me for money, and it's a crime that he's letting that bus rot away.
But the last one, neither you nor anyone else can convince me to drive an RV on decade-old tires with no internal support and holes in the roof and walls hundreds of miles to avoid a category 5 hurricane that literally blew up in less than 3 days. Until the day it hit, they were downplaying the projected strength of the storm, assuring everyone that it wasn't going to be that bad, resulting in very few evacuations before it hit. To speak nothing of the horrors that followed in the weeks after.
At least we were able to use its fresh water tank to shuttle water from the city so we had drinking water.
A friend of mine, “Freddy”, bought one, a motor home, to tour with his band. He took it to a specialist for inspection and the specialist found so many flaws with it. The cabinets were never properly bolted in place at the factory, cheap quality hardware everywhere, the electrical panel and system was a joke, a fuse would blow just from running the A/C and the microwave at the same time.
That specialist went to work, and made it safe as well as functional to operate. For ten years, Freddy’s band toured twice a month without any major incidents regarding their RV. Freddy sold it after the band broke up about ten years later, but he got a good price for it, as the upgrades made it worth the deal.
Probably had China bombs
I have on word from a good friend down under that RVs in Australia are the exact same thing as here, except for one small difference: There, when you watch your money going down the drain, it swirls the other way. 👍
I also bought a RV in 2017 it was the one I had done my research on and the color scheme I wanted. After the test drive I opened very area looking for defects nothing major. I made a list and spoke with the sales woman and said call me you these fixed and I'll come back and if its fixed I'll buy it. She said that's not how it works in the RV industry, We don;t fix factory issues before you buy it. I went to 3 other RV dealers and the all said the same thing. I never bought an RV.
Like the expression God opens a door for every one he closes and I said until you fix that I'm not buying this car.
And you made the correct choice…something 99% of suckers didn’t
had a person ask me for help with an electrical fault. finally found there was a sealed junction box on the bottom of the RV, with a completely open back, and non weather rated connections inside. water splashed up from the road, and into the back of the box, where the sealed cover kept it inside the box shorting out the connections. they could have just as easily put that junction box inside the storage cabinet and protected it from splashing water.
Built a Skoolie from an '87 e350 diesel..easy to work on myself and because School buses are built to rigorous federal standards, it's a super solid body and frame.
I used to deliver campers from manufacturers to dealers. They are all junk. When you arrive at the dealership you have to walk around with their intake person. You make a list of everything that is wrong to be repaired. I've seen cabinets on the floor when I got there. It's always a lengthy list. Several manufacturers have a sign out front that says no drug testing.
I was one of 9 salespeople that shared the intake/check in task and we hated it. I would also on occasion go for factory (Fleetwood) training and have to drive a new coach back to NH from IN. We would make a list of things that fell off, broke and didn't work during the ride home. If buyers could see what was inside the walls of a $150K motor coach they would stay away in droves.
@@johniwan1 we had a driver almost get killed. Was delivering RV to Little Rock and as he took the exit to the dealership the overhead huge storage bin fell and hit him in the head. Knocked him out. Crashed the RV. When they investigated none of the screws that were holding up the storage area were in anything structural. Just the fabric.
This is why the idea of converting a well-built cargo trailer into a camper in the US is becoming a bigger deal. Way cheaper, can build it exactly how you want it, and the build quality will more than likely be better and last longer.
That's exactly what I did. I started with a 30' low profile gooseneck and stick built the box on it to residential code. It doesn't have slide outs or anything like that but, it does have a/c, residential appliances, plumbing/fixtures and wiring. It'll probably outlive me but, until I'm gone, if anything goes wrong with it, I can fix it.
Unless you do it yourself then theres a good chance youll gey caught up in this same kinda mess.. like the schoolbus thing in the us where the company takes a schoolbus and hacks it up to turn it into a expandable rv with wood floors and all the bells n whistles but that company ended up doing this same stuff to people and same excuses..
Except well built cargo trailers are almost as hard to find.
@@danbusey tell me about it 😣
Very few people have the ability to do that.
If you don't have the skillset to work on a RV, don't buy it! There are many things that can damage an RV and 70% of those damages are caused by improper use. Second, don't buy a new unit and take off on your adventure without taking it on a shakedown cruise first. Third, study the manuals and do your best to educate yourself about RV's. You will be amazed at how much you have to know to make your RV ownership enjoyable.
You pretty much have to inspect everything on day one and immediately start repairing things yourself before the water intrusion from half-assed assembly starts degrading it right off the assembly line.
I once worked for the motor home accessory industry. We would fly to all the RV get togethers to fix stuff. People go to those things because all the techs show up there to do just that. Brand new units that were non functional. The only things more non functional than the motor homes were the people. Fun fact about the multi million dollar units is that they have electric stoves that only work plugged in or on generator because they know people that rich don’t cook.
After researching RVs and all their expensive appliance issues, I decided to build my own out of a cargo trailer. No propane appliances to deal with. And it’s more stealth like. People don’t realize it’s an RV. This trailer is mainly a fire escape trailer due to all the forest fires, it can be hooked up in seconds and at least you have lodging, a kitchen, and a roof over your head. Put in a solar battery system and you’re all set even if the SHTF.
I have an RV (fifth wheel), and it's best to just work on them yourself. If there is something like a gas leak, or whatever, individual RV repairmen can be hired who are qualified. The industry is definitely not turn-key. It might even be best for most people to build their own "tiny home". Then they'd at least know it inside-out. It's tough.
When I was growing up my parents had a '72 Winnebago they'd bought when it was about 2 years old. RVs were much simpler then and made sturdier. Other than a starter solenoid you could count on going out every couple years that thing was as reliable as you could ever ask. So I have good memories of that RVs and wonderful memories of the trips we took. But I'd never buy one now. Have friends that did and in every case it was just one broken thing after another until they got fed up and sold it.
Seems like restoring an old one or building one yourself out of an old school bus or something is the way to go
@@kerryedavis why not?
@@ThatEEguy2818 Midwest school bus are 50% structural rust by 5th year
@@JasonW. ok, never knew that. Thanks.
@@SkylineFTW97 : well, this was almost 60 years ago- - my dad bought an old extra long school bus (up in the mountains of PA) and converted into an RV - - that we lived in for a summer. He was an electrician and knew construction - - from not only jobs after WWII, but also did a lot during WWII in the USN. It held up very well, while dad went with all of us (6 kids, plus mom and dad) to Texas for a electricians job. Then he got an even better job in Arkansas, so we moved in it again. When he finally sold it, the local people who bought it, were very pleased because he had taken good care of it all those years.
Bought and sold a 2020 28 foot Toy Hauler last year. I couldn't believe how poor the quality control was on nearly every component. Was glad to get rid of it while the market was still hot, it was JUNK!
You just made me love my tent even more than I already do! 😊
I bought an RV about 3 years ago. It is almost twenty years old. I live in it full time, I've had issues here and there, but I can rely on it to get me where I'm going. The repairs I have made, have been pretty simple and not too expensive. If you get an RV, you should be a fairly handy person, because finding an RV repair person can be hard, expensive, and take a long time. If you know what your getting into, it can be an awesome experience.
Bought a 26' - 96 Damon Challenger just about a year ago. She needed the brake lines replaced, my mechanic said "No Problem! " Give them a week...... After 6 months, 2 mechanics, and a fight w AAA, I finally had brakes.
I knew NOTHING about RV's but I knew I was done w/ 70 hr work weeks, mortgages, & selling my life in exchange for 2 weeks of freedom.
I now live in my RV full time w my two dogs. It's been anything but smooth but life is all about the adventure!!!!
Bought a $4K camper trailer in Australia when lived there. Was one of the best decisions we made. Basically a 7'x5' with a tent on the top of it. There was not much that would go wrong with it that the guy that assembled it could not fix, nor if he went out of business not much that I could not fix. Sold it to a friend when we left and they are still using it today, more than a decade later and loving it.
Basically I think a low end RV could be well worth it for many....but mid to high do seem like a huge risk.
Caravan manufacturers have been having a field day while Aussies were locked down and international travel stopped due to the pandemic. Prices through the roof, wait times for a build slot stretching out over a year. They just been churning them out and of course quality has gotten even worse.
I heard all of this when my parents had issues with their campers. My mother jumped at the chance to sell their camper during lockdown. They got much more than the trade in value and more than they paid for it.
I bought a new RV last year having watched Steve for years. I will say unequivocally it has been an excellent experience. I’ve had the lithium batteries replaced under warranty and I’ve stayed at National parks with my family. We witnessed the sunset at Glacier Point with our van and it’s experiences like that will last a lifetime.
You are now jinxed….toast… that RV will now get ..probably in your sleep……
Full-timed in a 39-foot Class A for over 4 years, and I can attest to all of the stories Steve spoke of and others. A recall on my engine, while in a state with no dealer capable of repairing the engine. Losing the generator and having to cope with needing to run the engine for power when stopping. Had to replace the refrigerator in the first 90 days and then deal with the leaking windshield, which is how the double door had to go in and out, and it took the repair place 3 tries to get it replaced correctly. The only difference is I planned for a breakdown every quarter on the idea that an RV is a house in a constant state of an earthquake, and I knew things would break. The other side of that is, traveling with kids, having a bed, TV, bathroom, microwave, and refrigerator within 30 feet at all times makes it so much more convenient that it far outweighed the issues with repairs and breakdowns
A very rational approach.
Just in case you ever do another video involving them we refer to the ACCC as the A triple C in Australia. Love the stories BTW, keep up the awesome content 👍👍🇦🇺..
Um, he said that...
@@sandcrabronco No he didn't, he said "A-three-C". The vernacular here is "A-triple-C"
@@mcspud K mate, keeper straight up out there.
"Should this be found unsatisfactory you must send it to the factory --
and the factory is in Japan, so lots of luck!" Verse from song "Lots of Luck" by Alan Sherman
the *great* Alan Sherman
🎵🎶”Hello, mud-dah! Hello, fad-dah! Here I am at, Camp Gren-a-da!”
@@princessmarlena1359 : 😂🤣👍👍‼️
@@princessmarlena1359 ... camp is very entertaining, and they say that we'll have fun if it stops raining 🌦🌞
Back in the early '70s we were living the highlife with a VW camper van. One summer my parents drove us from Anchorage to Edmonton and back over the ALCAN highway, around 2000 miles each way. Back then the ALCAN was still mostly gravel. My 3 siblings and I were young enough that there was enough room for us all to be comfortable during the drive. It was quite the adventure. We never had any problems with that VW camper van, it held up well over the years. As an adult now older than my parent were back then it's hard to imagine doing that again.
I went looking at RVs during the pandemic. I was absolutely SHOCKED how poorly and quickly these things are made.
RV considerations:: A single tow experience, even a few miles, will be a cool $1000. When it breaks and you don't fix it the labor costs will be over $100hour. A few years ago I had a rock somehow hit my fuel/water separator, break it off and I was stuck in the nowhere of the Sierra's. Luckily I had a friend behind me. A mere 16 hours later we had the $6 part needed and installed it. Imagine if it had been towed 50 miles to a town and then worked on at a shop!! $2000 minimum. So an RV needs to tow a car so when the RV breaks you can have a way out. I had a 35' Winnebago Vectra Diesel ...turbo charged Cummins with a 6 speed Alison. That combination is the best you can have. But it means nothing when the above happens. So I sold the Winnie. Just a pick up and a tent for me.
One More Story:: I had to live in a 29 foot trailer in 1999. I happen to be home when the schrader valve just popped out of the water pressure tank. It shot out a stream of water at 40psi. The trailer was 2 years old. If I had not been home it would have ruined the Mallard trailer in half an hour..... All those popular trailers are made with Particle Board. A little water does a lot of damage. The Vectra was ALL Oak, no particle board.
A lot of trailers use 'luan' (a thin, cheap plywood veneer) behind the aluminum or fiberglass exterior. The better RVs use 'Azdel', which is a trademarked, synthetic composite material that is waterproof, will not rot or mold, has better thermal insulation and sound deadening characteristics, and is less dense.
If I get an RV, it MUST NOT use wood in any part of the substructure other than perhaps a thick plywood base for the floor. Even that wood should be 'Marine grade' so that the glue does not delaminate if it gets wet. Azdel would be a MUST in the walls/siding.
@@gregparrott many expensive trailers/rv's use oak. solid oak. praticle board is garbage and common
difference between caravan and RV (what we also call motor homes) is the caravan are detachable trailer towed by your regular car. hence it can cost less than half as much as an RV, there's some major advantages over an RV which are reason why Australia has so few RVs:
- Cheaper (it does not comes attached to a motor engine at the front, it's just a hard shell tent or shed that you pull with your own car)
- modular and adjustable (they have tons more options, you can have extendible areas or even those that opens up with a tent area on the side or back more than doubling the area once you are on the camp site)
- detachable (set them up at the camp site and go off driving around exploring with your car for the day, when storing them at home you can just shove them in backyard or side, it's not a motor vehicle you have to maintain as much)
- upgradeable ( it's completely separate unit to your car, for all the reasons above you can change them out, sell them or trade them in much more easily than an RV. same goes for your car if you need to upgrade that or if it breaks down and needs to be towed off you can get another car to tow the caravan and continue on)
I listened to 15 minutes of this... Yes I can relate. We bought a certain Canadian off road edition travel trailer. Problem after problem. The day after we bought it, we started having brake problems, pulled into a RV sales repair location, with out even looking at the unit, proceeded to tell me that the problem was my brake controller. I explained that I had been using it for 3 years and it worked just fine, nope your wrong he said it is your brake controller. I got upset and left, limped the trailer 150 kilometers to our home. After some time passed did an inspection and found that the brake wires had rubbed on the tire hubs and shorted . The table broke, there were 2 recalls that they would not just send the part to replace ( one was a gas regulator) easy to replace, but wanted us to bring our trailer in, again 150 klms, park it on their lot for 2 weeks just to see if the regulator was faulty. The curtain divider literally fell out of the ceiling, tv mount was loose, shoddy craftsman ship. I WILL NOT buy this brand.... You are 100% correct, we very much got the feeling they DO NOT care once you sign. Just writing this ticks me off, we drove for 9 hours to the place we bought it cause they acted as though they were our friends.. Nope, the service and warranty part does not want to be your friend. Very frustrating and difficult...
This year, for my Class B RV, I've worked on:
1. the water pump (replaced it after repairing the 3-year old one failed)
2. the positemp shower valve (new one on order after the 3-year old one failed too). Issue is not related to the water pump replacement.
3. re-wired the propane emergency cutoff (Corrosion damage in the connectors)
4. power step (replaced it since the 3-year old step wasn't serviceable). It had seized.
Since I can work on my RV myself, I've saved a lot in terms of $$ and frustration if I had to take it to an RV dealer. Most of the RV is holding together well but it wasn't designed to be serviced.
I am Australian in Australia. I will try clear some of this up. An RV is generally regarded as a large motorhome similar in size to a Winnebago, or Fiat Ducato, a small motorhome is a campervan, VW Kombi size. A caravan is a home towed behind a car but with a solid frame and roof. You can get a caravan with a smaller side but a canvas skirt and pop-top roof. A camper trailer is a box trailer towed behind a car with a canvas tent folded for travel but when stationary at a campsite, folds out to an extended tent.
Our 1966 Scotty Gaucho camper is VERY low tech. So there's very few items to go bad. The worst would be a tire blowout but we make sure to keep quality/fresh trailer tires on it.
FYI....trailer tires don't "wear out" they "expire" becoming time bombs after a period of time. Don't ever go by treadwear to gauge when to replace.
As someone who lives full time in my RV and travels the country, if you're thinking of doing the same, I'd highly recommend saving up a rainy-day fund for when your RV has to be in the shop. Also, look at your RV Insurance policy carefully - sometimes they do pay certain amounts for hotels and rental cars. Aside from staying at an extended-stay motel, always carry a couple suitcases with you so you can pack the essentials and travel to a friend or family's place. If your insurance pays for a rental, you can even get a tent and continue camping and exploring and having fun, you just won't have all the features of the RV. State Parks are good for that as they almost always have water, showers, and restrooms.
Steve the A triple C (thats how we pronounce it down here), has legislation that makes the SELLER responsible for the breakage they have to get it fixed, and if they cannot they are required at law to repair it of refund the total price of the caravan, the Microwave breaks they seller has to make it good, they are responsible with dealing with the Microwave companies warranty. same with any component. This is National Law. The ACCC has recently put RV manufacturers and sellers on Notice that they will start aggressive prosecutions because the Industry have been blatantly misrepresenting Statutory Warranties tp purchasers and who is responsible for repairs. An example of their abilities is the recent case where Toyota may have to pay out Billions in relation to particulate filter failures including losses on trade in valuations!
Add 20% Vat tax. Add 25% Fuel tax. Add 50% for insurance against ACCC claims. Now wonder why your piece of sh** (fully warranted) pop-up camping trailer cost more than your house, takes forever to get possession of, and still breaks down just as often, takes even longer to get repaired and ruins your vacation every time just like the old days.
Edit: "sh** " has asterisks because youtube censored the unedited word under "Community Guidelines"
How 1984 of them.
@@deconteesawyer5758 our VAT (called GST - Goods and Services Tax) is 10% here. The fuel tax is 22.1c/litre, then the GST is added on top but I'm not sure why that would impact the purchase price rather than just running costs.
I will agree that having the ACCC would probably increase the price as well, both for legit and bogus reasons - they will have to build things properly (thus more expensively) but also might be dinged for a warning label being the wrong size/shape/colour etc
@@InfestedTemplar My bad. I was looking at UK stuff from the BBC. Government fuel and sales taxes directly impact the cost of all services, and there would surely be a lot more services and parts running required from the dealer to provide full coverage. Anytime the government gets involved costs go up. If you hear"I'm from the government and I'm here to help." it is time to run, not walk away. Nothing is free as they claim, certainly not expanded government powers and agencies.
Stralya mate...
Swag - A canvas bed you role out on the ground you sleep in.
Camper - A box that goes on the back of a ute (pickup) that you can live out of whilst travelling
Camper trailer - As above but is towed behind a vehicle (most are built for off road)
Caravan - A tow behind trailing live in box, modern ones have AC, toilets and showers as well as satellite TV.
Fifth Wheeler or goose neck - As above but hitches onto the tray (bed) of a Ute (pickup).
RV - Self propelled caravan.
Love listening to you from Australia Steve.
Seems to me that by the time you buy the unit, pay for maintenance, insurance, increased gas costs, storage and overnight camping fees. It would be cheaper to rent high end motel rooms when traveling.
There is one serious problem with that - there are no motel rooms anywhere near some of the spots I have taken my motorhome when traveling out west.
Oh, but you don't get to experience all of that _freeeedom_ ! LMAO
Or get a small 4WD vehicle and strap a tent to the roof!
I would try renting an RV before buying one, and I'd be buying used, not new. Walmart used to let RVs park overnight at the back of the parking lot, but I have heard that's been curtailed due to people dumping trash and draining the sewage tanks. The homeless have been blamed for much of that, but some Walmarts have decided not letting RVs stay overnight is the best solution.
Love your work Steve.
Locally we call ACCC the A triple C
Having played a small part in the supply chain of 'caravan' parts and also being a keen observer at caravan shows.
There are some units that are structurally solid, maybe even overkill and would last forever, coming with a massive price tag, and then others built to a much lesser standard overall.
All of the brands compete by filling the vans with as many chap and nasty Chinese accessories as possible.
Cheap, nasty and even inadequate solar systems, just for advertising kudos.
Lots of accessories and fittings, lighting, shower doors etc.. all break and fall apart frequently.
It's a terrible industry here, really needs a shake up... Seems very much similar to the issues in the US.
This is exactly why I'm building my own RV. I'm converting a 40' bus into an RV that will be better built and more reliable than any ready-made S+S (sticks and staples) RV. Seeing what happens to most RVs after they're in accidents, even quite minor ones, is a sobering reality check: essentially they just turn into kindling, with splintered wood and ripped plastic all over the road. My bus is all-metal, designed for several decades of heavy-duty use, with a true heavy-duty engine and drivetrain, and enough weight capacity that even when it's fully loaded and ready for a trip it will still be a few thousand pounds under its GVWR. It's a lot of work to make it the way I want, but it will be worthwhile. I'm always shocked how badly designed and made are the RVs in the storage yard where I keep my bus - I know I can make something better, much better.
Awesome job! I’ve seen those old slanted windows buses that were converted to motor homes, and they were built better than some houses.
I was debating whether to buy an off-road trailer RV to pull behind my Grand Cherokee, or a rooftop tent. I'm thinking rooftop now. Thanks, Steve. You da' man! ❤👍
Caravan is the word used in the UK for a tow behind live in trailer, which is why it is the same word used in Australia.
Great video…the best part was the ads for RV’s at the end! Hilarious
Back in the 30s the teardrop camper was largely a result of the same pressures, folks gave up and just started building their own. No point in wasting time with a dealership. They don’t do anything anyway.
People are doing the same en masse building RVs out of other vehicles, mainly old school or coach buses
My husband and I are multiple RV owners, we learned to fix them ourselves. We now own a motorhome my husband made a seperate breaker just to plug it in. It sits in the driveway not running. My husband was hurt at work so it sits, and sits hopefully we hit the lottery I am going to find someone to fix all of the issues. We looked at new ones, they were not as nice as the broken down one in the driveway.
LOL. Australian here. I always thought you were talking about a motor home when you said "RV".
ACCC is spineless in Australia. They talk a big game but when it comes for action lawsuits they slink away.
Unless you use it frequently, RVs are a lot of engine to buy for something that's going to be sitting idle a lot
... or you can pay through the nose driving a lot of engine year round in order to haul a big camper on vacations.
Recently retired and must say the siren song of an RV purchase is very, very real. Have friends & family that have trailers; and all the typical issues. My wife and I justify NOT purchasing as follows. Start with a purchase price that depreciates $35K over 6 years. (The number is for argument sake. Could be double or tripple this; whatever floats your boat.) $35k divided by $175. per night in a hotel/motel is 200 nights. This divided by 10 nights per trip is, of course, 20 trips. 20 divided by, say, 3 (10-day) trips per year. And there's your travel housing budget. Ta-da... Much less stress/hastle in ones life. Thx for your post, Steve.
In the UK we have Caravans that are towed, Campers that are commercial van based and Motorhomes which are coach built on commerical vehicle chassis and a network of new and used dealerships that will repair most things if possible
2011 Lance 2285 owner here, no issues to report. Wear and tear better than expected. We love it! Happy camping peeps, aloha.
After owning multiple RV's, (travel trailers) I can tell you that there isn't one worth the money you pay for it, that being said, you buy one with the exception of problems, that way you cant be disappointed.
Karavan...
IDK if the trailers I deal with are the same company discussed here, but it's amazing the things I find on factory fresh never loaded Karavan trailers.
But, once I fix them, I do stand behind that product. The basic metal work is great. It's things like wheel bearings, brakes and lights that are issues.
BTW, anyone buying a Switch, check your brakes. That's failed my inspection on every single one that came through my shop, but was fixed by me.
The funny part, they lock out the brakes at the factory, even though there is not enough brake fluid to keep air out and let the brakes actually apply.
I always appreciate your info. I'm actually wanting to buy a 5th wheel. Also known as a trail behind camper. I also happen to be a Master Appliance technician. I work on in home appliances. I have been called out to check appliances in campers. How they set those appliances up, makes my stomach turn and my vision to spin. After nearly 13 years of doing this job, and working on commercial and in home appliances, and factory appliance repair, those things make me scratch my head and wonder why the appliances were ever set up that way. Do not set up an appointment with local repair companies until you know for a fact that they can repair camper appliances. They are set up differently, they are held down with brackets so they don't tip over, and they don't have repair manuals that I am aware of.
I deal with this almost daily handling extended warranty claims for RVs. Some of the build quality issues are unbelievable.
As a kid we owned a caravan on a campingsite in Belgium(static), this way you rent the plot it is on and the site supplied the electricity and water(gas was in tanks), this was in the '60s and early '70s. We used it for long weekends and short holidays. We also had a flatback tent model towed behind the car for longer family holidays. Compared to today there's hardly any modern electronics lol. The caravan we had in New Zealand in the mid and late '70s was quite modern, she did have a microwave for example. I'm from Holland and I had a brilliant and wonderful time Steve.
I'd rather buy a pop-up camper or self-convert a van than even borrow a free RV.
@@MonkeyJedi99 brilliant I have had both Monkey, you are right.
My 2008 (bought new in 2010) 5th wheel had bad chrome plating on the slide out hydraulic rods. Took the cylinders out, replaced the rods with stainless parts. fixed. no dealer involved. Bad transfer valve on propane tanks. bought new one and installed it. No dealer involved. Bad circuit breaker for slide pump motor, bought new breaker, fixed it. No dealer involved. AC vents not hooked up, (poor installation practices) fixed with metal tape. More was wrong with it, but you get the idea. We were going to "tour the USA" when we retired, but wife passed from cancer. Sold the camper.
Being familiar with the issues of RV’s we are currently converting a 40’ rear engines steel structure bus into a home on wheels.
Solar, 10kWh of battery storage, A/C, heat, full kitchen, bath, washing machine/drier, and more. Total budget $40k and even with cost increases are in line to meet our budget.
And then we will sell out two houses and travel the country.
So I think one fix is to make the dealers fully responsible for the RV inside and out and let them deal with the different parts manufacturers regarding all the component warranties. Now parts availability is another matter, don't know how to fix that one...
I'm an RV transporter in the US.
The dealer is responsible for construction, frame, siding, built in seating, plumbing (up to appliances and fixtures), and in most cases tires (this varies).
When you buy your RV you get a big bag of paperwork, we call this the "Swag bag", and all the individual appliance and furniture warranties are inside.
Now, in most cases, a good dealer will handle almost anything by dealing with the part manufacturer. This is for certain on parts like axles and frame (usually LCI, Lippert Components Inc) as they make most frames on large volume manufacturers.
There is a saying, don't buy an RV if you can't fix stuff. Things break. GUARANTEED. You have a unit built one at a time, on an assembly line, that then races down the road at 70 mph. Or as we say, it spends its life experiencing hurricanes all the time, and earth quakes. Most people drive them like they stole them, then bitch when stuff breaks.
BTW - I've been a full time RVer for 3 years. You don't do this lifestyle service at all. It's awesome, if you're willing to do the research and learn to turn a wrench.
I guess the the best RV is buy a used one and make it a project "DIY" use standard appliances from Home depot or lowes cheap microwave from Wallmart and definitely use plumbing parts that you can purchase from any local home center. Good luck out there!
When I sent you the email yesterday asking for more RV videos your response is awesome you are a good guy Steve keep up the good work
Some of the RV repair shops will let you sleep in your RV until it needs to spend the night in the shop then you get a hotel. (This has happened to my parents who did travel the country 4 years. The biggest issue they found was you still have to have a permanent address and for shipping products/mail/ etc they would have it sent to their next planed stop location. It's quite different from a house.
Anyone thinking of going full time RV needs to check what it cost to park overnight in an RV park.
I boondock and rarely stay in a RV park.
Where I love to camp has RV sites at the bottom of the mountain, tent sites at the top. I'm almost 60 and still prefer a faraway site with my tent.
I always look at the rows of RVs on our way up the mountain and wonder... It doesn't seem much fun to "camp" in what is basically a large parking lot. Smushed right up practically against each other. That's not getting away from it all - that's bringing it all with you!
Hundo, unfolded, between the first and second columns of law books, on the left side of the first shelf of the main cabinet. 970.
One of my mates bought a new caravan, he has bought and sold a couple of second hand vans in the past. He decided to buy a new van ($80,000 au) . His first trip with the new van was only a couple of thousand km's , by the time he got home it had chopped out two of the four tyres. He sent it back to the dealer for repairs. He got it back but he could see the wheels were out of alignment. Another trip and the caravan leaked water into the cupboards. It was sent to an authorised repairer. It was there for a couple of months. It still leaked, after many phone calls and threats about going to the ACCC. The manufacturer bought the van back and promised to have a new van built for him. He got his new van after several months of waiting, so far only a few minor problems.
Either buy from a reputable boutique builder (if you can afford it), or build your own. I know several people either personally, or online that have converted things ranging from a cargo van to an old school bus into a hand made RV. Yes, it takes time, sweat, and money. But at least when it's done, you know who did the work, and can probably fix most build issues, because YOU did it!
If i wanted an RV, i would build my own. That way i know it was done the way i want it done, and to the level of quality i want.
It's all up to the dealer. They have the capacity to deal with the RV manufacturer or the manufacturer of the broken appliance. Luckily I have only needed two repairs under warranty on one of the three campers we have owned over the years. My local dealer worked with me to make things right.
Part of the confusion is people think of RVs as vehicles. If you look at the plates in a lot of state it says "House trailer".
Speaking as a residential contractor, yes if I build you a kitchen I warranty my work on the framing the drywall etc. And I might put the oven in for you, but I don't warranty the oven.
In early 2020i fantasized about getting an RV and touring America. But then I ran across your videos on the subject and quickly abandoned the fantasy. Now I just fly and rent. Problem solved. Thanks for all your good advice. BTW, I delivered the Detroit News back in the days before they had child labor laws.
this is so timely... I have some good friends that did just this. Stopped renting their house, bought a camper trailer to live in and travel. I'm jealous until I watched this.
So here in Australia we have the Australian Consumer Law. Wherever you purchase an item you are entitled to return that item for warranty repairs/replacement/refund. It's not legal to force a consumer to deal directly with the manufacturer of the goods. Apple got into a lot of trouble for this back in the early 2000s for refusing to accept warranty repairs via the original store that sold it.
Much the same applies to the caravans/campers and the manufacturer and seller should be fined by the ACCC and Fair Trading NSW.
I do get very curious about usage and how they can possibly be worth the trouble for lots of people.
I moved to this house 4 years ago, the neighbor 3 houses down has a pop up camper (caravan) in their driveway that to my knowledge has never been used in that period. I walk my dogs past several times a day, I’d have noticed it not being there.
On the flip side, my parents have a canned ham camper they’ve had good luck with. They are retired and use it a lot. They had it long before COVID, and it was great in that period to visit people with limited indoor contact with 90 year old grandparents and the like. My dad has generally been able to fix stuff that goes wrong, but I can see more complicated models being an issue.
I am surprised the ACCC doesn't get right into them for the defects... We have some pretty good consumer protections here.
RV's built in last 5-6 years in US are very shoddy, and they weren't that good before either. Big thing is to find out everything that needs fixed right away and have dealer fix it.
Our motorhome had the dash A/C not working and we fought between dealer and Ford place to who was responsible to fix it. And car dealers won't look at RV's so had to go to a Ford truck dealer.
@15:56 The larger RVs, Coach/Class A ,are built on commercial bus chassis. Those owners have to go to 'big rig' service centers.
I have had two travel trailers. You quickly learn that if things are going to get fixed you have to do it your self. You also learn that you have to keep up the maintenance.
My family had a 25' Superior motor home in the 1970's. That thing was built like a tank; Dodge engine/transmission/chassis, steel box construction with real automotive sheet metal, Ingersoll-Rand generator. The only plywood was in the cabinets. Not many problems, but it was so heavy that we got about 4.5 MPG, and that's on the highway. Pick your poison.
The latest I seen was a converted greyhound bus, with a higher roof. Looked good. It's somewhere here on yt.
My first rv was a Isuzu truck chassis with a tilting cab for engine repairs filters and the like Trouble is the RV body rent over the cab thus the cab would not tilt. Simple steering hose leak 16 hours and specially made tools to do the job. They used silicon sealant on the stove to connect the gas. The seats were removed and the floor had to be cut out to do a service on the engine . then the floor was welded back in What a nightmare. Glad to see the back of that monster.
I'm currently hauling a 2021 5th wheel back to indiana for warranty repairs... all the way from San Antonio Texas
The are strange rules for roadside service too! If you call AAA for help on the tow vehicle and the trailer is attached even if you then disconnect they wouldn’t work on it!
Don’t buy a camper, be it a “motor coach/home” or a “caravan/trailer”, unless you use it typically at least once or better yet twice a month in order to get your money’s worth. Also, don’t keep them more than ten years as they are a vehicle, and vehicles typically aren’t meant to last more than ten years (particularly the American ones).
Make sure you know someone who is mechanically skilled, to help you. You will probably have to replace or upgrade some features (a friend of mine had to replace/upgrade the electrical panel just so he could run the a/c and use the microwave at the same time without blowing a fuse), and you definitely need to inspect it for safety.
As a fourth generation automotive mechanic myself I feel very sorry for people who buy RVs and they break down because they’re also scammed and taken advantage of when they go on long road trips and break up town in different states are.
Have a friend or work in RV cooking as a manager and he was a automotive technician and I can tell you from first-hand experience no qualified educated competent automotive technician would ever work for an RV company.
RV companies seek out the lowest educated individuals unfortunately instead of diagnosing things things just get replaced instead of fixing.
Things get broken when they’re fixing things or looking for the problem and then tell the customer what they just broke was part of the problem customer doesn’t know and has to pay for their mistakes learning on your RV.
They pay their technicians some of the lowest wages that would never attract anybody qualified to work on vehicles in the first place.
And if they have any smarts at all and they get a little bit good and they discover that they can never make any money working for an RV Center they leave to a real automotive repair facility to become an automotive technician.
Analogy would be you need a liver transplant but instead of going to a well-known large surgical hospital.
You go down to your corner meat market butcher with a dirty cleaver to operate on you.
This is the difference between a truly skilled technical automotive technician in an RV Grease monkey parts swapper
When you own a RV you have to be a automotive mechanic/general contractor/appliance repair person
Owner operated shops are the worst in the greed department. Not only do they take advantage of the young men they hire (low pay, cheap benefits), they try to take advantage of the customer as you described and more. I know one that low balls customers interested in selling their units due to "numerous, costly (exaggerated) repairs", makes a few minor repairs, details it then sets it out at an inflated price. He easily clears $250k take home a year just in resales.
@@LadyAdakStillStands Specially ignorance unqualified owner operators who can’t properly do the repairs themselves and incapable even if you held a gun to their head.
You're making me kind of glad I didn't get hired when I applied for an RV Tech position.
Best I can tell it's a drunk half-assed industry top to bottom. The sort of business one gets into when they don't really want to have to do things like be held to their word or work to keep the customer happy.
@@Broken_Yugo exactly 100% correct I didn’t want to say it that bluntly that that is the truth it’s one of those areas where you build houses but you did such a shitty job the industry in the community kicked you out of their industry for you got sued so you start making RVs where you can get away with ripping people off that’s the truth of it
As someone who can fix almost anything in an RV, I rarely have to buy my whiskey for camping. There’s always someone needing something fixed, and my fee is you go get a good bottle of bourbon, and these parts. I’ll get ya going. It’s never the smooth trips you laugh about around the fire for years to come, it’s always the WTF trips that become the stories.
Come on down buddy! Plenty of places to camp around here, and my RV has an issue despite being an all-around great vehicle. We'd be glad to spring for a bottle of bourbon :)
in nz we have the cga which means whoever sold you the camper is responsible to repair, replace or refund, lt would be up to the dealer to make a claim to the appliance manufacturer, for refund of costs for repair, australia has similar laws
Seriously messed up when they scratched her car and would "make it right" if they didn't cancel the purchase...that is when you run! 🏃.
Travel trailers are called caravans in the UK as well.
Same exact for the marine industry! Just replace RV/Camper/Caravan with Boat/Yacht/PWC. Buyer beware. Same exact issue with dealers and factory! 🤦♂
I heard of similar thing with large trucks. I heard a dash board on a $2000 dash board breaking. Freightliner breaking Would not warenty. Freightliner did not make the dash an outside company did
Great video Steve. Just letting you know, we Australians pronounce the ACCC, as “The A, Triple C”.
Many problem occure through the RV builder using the wrong cab and chassis ( go the cheapest) that are under powered for what it is being asked to do thereby stressing everything to the max.
"huge rigs...gigantic...six-figure RVs"...that's us! we bought a "fifth-wheel toy hauler", and it's 45' long, for a total of 63' with our truck, when towing. Between the truck and trailer, the MSRP was right over a quarter mil. And yes, things have gone wrong. But we went in with open eyes, knowing things would go wrong. One recent one was discovering that the inverter, which lets you power AC appliances (like our residential refrigerator) from the batteries when not plugged in. Fortunately for us, despite the warranty on the inverter being expired, the RV manufacturer reps were able to get the inverter manufacturer to provide a replacement, and the RV guys did the R&R, all at no cost to us. A large part of this is that we were at a rally for that manufacturer, and a lot of people were getting "good will" work done, with vendors assisting. A neighbor got a whole new suspension (two other vendors, not the RV manufacturer), also well out of warranty. We currently have a failure in our Samsung convection/microwave oven. At first, the Samsung people sounded like they were taking it seriously, but now not so much, so we'll probably be on the hook for the repair or replacement. That's just part of what you get yourself into when buying one of these. The warranty usually turns out to be way too short and limited to be worthwhile.
Your description of the lifestyle made me laugh, especially after part of our recent travels. We did sell our house (and cars, and one motorcycle, and a lot of other stuff, plus giving away a lot of stuff) so we could retire as full-time RVers. Not long ago, we spent a week in Colorado, then a few days in New Mexico, a few more in Texas, a week (or maybe it was two) in Louisiana, a month in Arkansas, and so on. We just started a month in a park in Alabama after time in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, and by January will be in Florida. I won't say this lifestyle is for everyone, but it works for us. You're right, RVs aren't as sturdy as houses. They're built to be lightweight and cheap, and then are frequently subjected to the equivalent of earthquakes, especially on some roads. While we're set up somewhere, our rig feels very sturdy, but that's illusory.
One of the reasons we went the trailer ("towable") RV route, rather than the "drivable" RV route is just the sort of thing you're talking about with repairs. If we have a problem with our drivetrain, that's the truck. I take the truck to a dealer or other shop to be fixed, but still can live in the RV. The worst ones are "Class A", the type most people think of when they hear "RV", or especially "Motorhome", with the flat front, large windshield, kind of like a Greyhound bus design. Those generally can't be worked on much of anywhere but a specialized shop. At least with the "Class C" (built on a truck chassis, with an overhang over the cab), you can get most truck shops to work on them.
I'd like to tell you all the ways you're wrong about how the RV industry works, but this comment section is too large to accommodate such a list. ;)
Like anything built on a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis. Some people love them and some people hate them. They get good mileage but are expensive to maintain. And you better get on that is pre DEF.
It sounds like that when all things are added up it becomes apparent that hotels & rental vehicles are cheaper , , ,
Or , camping in tents & bring along cooking & cooling equipment , , ,
Not sure if you watch videos from Australia but you may want to watch Cutting Edge Engineering Australia they are a machine shop.
Check the contract 5 times because it’s also a house & sometimes cost more
OUR FAMILY HAD A POP TRAILER WENT ACROSS COUNTRY TWICE. IT WAS SIMPLE, NO STOVE NO FRIG.SLEPT 6. ..COOKED ON A POTABLE STOVE AND USED COOLERS..MY MOTHER GOT USE TO IT AFTER THE FIRST SMALL TRIP..I WOULD RENT ONE TO SEE IF YOU LIKE IT .NOT FOR EVERYONE.
If she don't find you handy don't buy an RV...
Well I have had good luck with Jacyco brand fithwheel's from the 2006 an 2010 model years.
I find them easy to maintain and repair and upgrade once you understand the systems.
Me, I don't have an accent at all. I went to a thousand-year-old school (founded 948 AD).
I bought a used 35ft motor home in 2016. Guess I'm a lucky one. I used it as a home for jobs I took in other cities. Saved me a ton even with the maintenance it needed. I refuse to buy a trailer home. Mostly because I didnt want to buy an expensive truck to haul it. I'll downsize in a few years and enjoy what we have now.
After service in Australia for European or US parts is a nightmare for most vehichles. it takes months for shipment and the mark up is insane, thats why asian or japanese cars are more common.
@The Glorious White Male That's hardly this specific person's fault lol
Also, they're much closer to China and Japan than we are in the states.
If I order something from China I'm impressed if it gets the me before 2 months.
@The Glorious White Male I live balls deep in the sticks and haven't even had internet until a few months ago, so Amazon uses USPS or UPS to deliver to my house.
I only buy from them when I have to, so I'm glad I don't have 2 day shipping because it's more of a deterrent for me to not buy from them.
Yes I have seen that I can get the same products for significantly less also, I've never bought from Ali express or Alibabba, I thought they had quantity minimums?