Acceptance of poor quality

[Woodgrain]

The preception I’m getting from reading these forums is that to many RV/travel trailer consumers are extremely tolerant of shitty quality and poor customer service. I have never seen this level of apathy in any other free market. If we (the consumers) don’t hold these manufactures publicly accountable they have very little motivation to improve.

Please use these forums and platforms like YouTube to expose these manufacturers for the junk they produce - and stop using these platforms to stroke our own egos for problem solving thier issues.

Okay- i feel better, thanks for letting me vent. Cruiser RV has made some colossal design mistakes on my 189FDS and they support has been non- existent. Unfortunately I think this is systemic in the industry so all brands have different levels of guilt on this topic.

That being said - public visibility of issues is our biggest hammer.

 

[profdant139]

Agnitio, you are right -- quality control in the trailer industry is notoriously poor. Cruiser is no worse than the others, and they are usually very responsive -- did they answer your phone calls and emails? Did your dealer go to bat for you?

 

[John_C]

True Agnitio,
Many manufacturers have changed or sold and the code requirements seem to be less stringent than I expected. I subscribe to Trailer Life magazine and they cover many questions, issues, and complaints, but alas, all are not covered. In my case, the original manufacturer of my trailer, CruiserRV, sold out several years ago and of course, not all problems are covered. Due to my specific model not being covered by the new company, I have trouble finding non-standard replacement parts. I have been looking for a replacement small center hub cover for one wheel that was lost, but cant't locate one yet. Don't get me wrong, I actually like my trailer and have had very few issues, and none that were not easily corrected. It seems to be the stupid, simple things that were overlooked in the manufacturing process. I don't find a standard for things like drain & Fill valve orientation, electrical circuits, plumbing or electrical schematics. I will probably put my trailer up for sale soon, not because of the trailer, but because my wife is now wheelchair bound and we need something more suitable for her condition. AND, if I go new, I will probably purchase a trailer/RV directly through the manufacturer.

 

[Chirpz]

Agree... Whine and complain a lot. Inform the public through various venues.... but fix it yourself. Then you know it is fixed right.

I'm pretty happy with our 08 189FBR but we have discovered some flaws and have named them here on this forum.

 

[Woodgrain]

Agnitio, you are right -- quality control in the trailer industry is notoriously poor. Cruiser is no worse than the others, and they are usually very responsive -- did they answer your phone calls and emails? Did your dealer go to bat for you?

They responded only to tell me they wouldn’t help and the dealer wss ussless in support this industry is infuriating.

 

[Woodgrain]

We reallt like the layout/floorplan of our trailer also, thats the only reason I don’t sell it. Sorry to hear about your wife now being in a wheelchair, thats a whole different set of challenges.real ones that make the trailer industry seam trivial.

 

[twinster2]

I agree with the OP, however, I don't think quality will improve simply because there are too many buyers out there willing to purchase whatever is available regardless of quality. And besides, most quality issues don't usually show up until you use your trailer for the first time and by then its too late to return it.

Anyway, this is one of the reasons I always buy used. I figure, I will have to fix the same stuff either new or used, so why not buy used and pay half the price. Also, fixing stuff on a trailer is the nature of the beast. Things leak, get broken or wear out or things are not what they should be. So you really need to be able to repair and maintain the trailer yourself, or pay someone to do it for you. From washing it, greasing the wheel bearings, tracking down electrical issues, fixing the plumbing, doing brakes, maintaining the battery, etc, it can all be quite a time sink. In summary, owning a travel trailer is not for the faint of heart.

 

[debbiej]

we want them light, but tough expect them to be reasonable in price, yet well crafted. they bounce along down the road, suffer all kinds of weather and water. the manufactures are always trying new products that they hope will be cost effective, and work better, so the performance and build methods change frequently. And they are campers.

We went from vw westfalias to RVs via an old toyota dolphin. now that thing was put together like the proverbial pig's stick house, it was in pretty nice shape, but it was a real mess. plumbing in inaccessible places, 6 million staples holding the old carpet down, not well designed at all.

Our t(iny)139 2006 fun finder is SO much better in every way. I appreciate much of craftsmanship in it; plumbing layout, electrical, fit and finish, cabinet quality, that kind of thing.

now if we had paid big bucks for a new luxury RV, I probably would feel qualified to complain, but all our campers have been used, a little bit fixer-uppers. each one has been a real upgrade from the last.

the only gripe I have with the RV industry is why they don't offer designs similar to what you can find in Europe? Although there have been some bold designs popping up here and there, most are the same old design with different colors.

maybe the exception for us is our 95 VW Rialta. it is still stylish and remarkably well designed and built. it is getting hard to find parts for, it is kind of slow going up hills. but we can't bear to part with it.

 

[Bill Sorensen]

Late 2013 bought a new 2014 Funfinder trailer. Had it for three years, it was a total nightmare! Had nothing but serious problems with it, things I couldn’t fix myself. Cruiser wouldn’t take responsibility for anything. They blamed it on everybody else, example: I lost my tire, wheel and hub driving down the highway, it was the company who built the frame for the trailers fault. Numerous electrical and plumbing issues. The three years I had that trailer, it was in the shop more than my house.
Early 2016, I had enough, got ride of that piece of sh-t, bought a new 2017 Lance. There’s no comparison in quality. The Lance is a FAR superior trailer. On my third summer of using it, and we’ve used it a lot, have not had one issue. It’s a great trailer!

 

[Janie-FUN]

I agree 'for the most part'. As RVr's/Campers, we expect A Lot from our camper trailers. I LUV my 215wsk and while few issues, I am 'learning' as I go! Someone said it isn't for the faint-of-heart.. I agree. But as campers, are we faint of heart to be Out There on the road or boondocking to begin with? So, we expect our campers to haul great, operate 100% of the time after bumping down every byway/highway or dirt roads, be impervious to water or mice.. and still have the perfect storage, lighting, and decor/floorplan?.. LOL I have Not yet and hope not to, have to call the manufacturer.. and now I find that CruiserRV was sold out(?).. so okay. I live by YouTube and other FunFinder owners who Love to Share their expertise. I have a great mechanic/rv tech locally I can call on if necessary (and if I can afford his hourly rate! LOL).. and I learn every single time. I don't think it would be any different than any other RV make/model. They will bounce, they will shift, and they will have 'issues' from wear, tear, usage; so be it. Live It, Love It, or Sell It.. lmao! just my own personal thoughts. Happy Trails my friends!

 

[debbiej]

We are camping right now. The host noticed we have a fun finder and commented on it. “We love ours”, I said. “Ours has been nothing but trouble”, she says. She listed the things gone wrong. Most were appliances. She said hers was a lemon. Too bad the experience is so inconsistent. Lance is a good brand!

 

[Dakota 1120]

I recently saw a Prevost motor home listed for sale...that was only a few years old. New price was near $2 million dollars. The owner had just had it serviced and several 'glitches' repaired at a cost of over $11,000.

Uncle bought a new Ford car that spent more time in the shop than being driven in the two years he owned it....before he got rid of the thing.

Son bought a new Dodge pickup in 1996 and the dealer put in two transmissions under warranty in about 1 1/2 years.

I replaced a 3 year old kitchen range because one side of the over was much hotter than the other side. The new one heats the same way.

The ONLY items I've ever owned that always functioned perfectly are firearms.

LOL

 

[dogs_rule]

Possibly because the company got bought out I think and doesn’t stock parts for earlier models at all? I found this when trying to get a simple thing like a new switch for one of the bedroom lights (the little reading lights). Guess that’s the way of the future with more and more parts being made overseas for way cheaper?

 

[jbfunfinder]

Late 2013 bought a new 2014 Funfinder trailer. Had it for three years, it was a total nightmare! Had nothing but serious problems with it, things I couldn’t fix myself. Cruiser wouldn’t take responsibility for anything. They blamed it on everybody else, example: I lost my tire, wheel and hub driving down the highway, it was the company who built the frame for the trailers fault. Numerous electrical and plumbing issues. The three years I had that trailer, it was in the shop more than my house.
Early 2016, I had enough, got ride of that piece of sh-t, bought a new 2017 Lance. There’s no comparison in quality. The Lance is a FAR superior trailer. On my third summer of using it, and we’ve used it a lot, have not had one issue. It’s a great trailer!

Bill-
I have no major argument with you about the relative quality of a FunFinder vs. a Lance. As you can see in my signature line we owned two FunFinders before we moved on to Lance. That being said, this is the FunFinder forum and I honor those who have stuck with the brand and I don't regret a single day we owned our two FunFinders. I still check out the FF Forum from time to time because there are some great people with lots of years of trailering experience who share their thoughts, humor and wisdom.

We paid a lot more for the Lance and appreciate the quality. However, as an avid reader/participant on the Lance Owners Association forum, I can sadly assure everyone that Lance owners have their share of poor build quality issues just like all RV owners experience. You just have to have the mindset that Chirpz and Twinster2 expressed above. Happy trailering....

 

[Bill Sorensen]

Bill-
I have no major argument with you about the relative quality of a FunFinder vs. a Lance. As you can see in my signature line we owned two FunFinders before we moved on to Lance. That being said, this is the FunFinder forum and I honor those who have stuck with the brand and I don't regret a single day we owned our two FunFinders. I still check out the FF Forum from time to time because there are some great people with lots of years of trailering experience who share their thoughts, humor and wisdom.

We paid a lot more for the Lance and appreciate the quality. However, as an avid reader/participant on the Lance Owners Association forum, I can sadly assure everyone that Lance owners have their share of poor build quality issues just like all RV owners experience. You just have to have the mindset that Chirpz and Twinster2 expressed above. Happy trailering....

I totally agree with your comment and I don’t mean to offend anybody here. People here are awesome. It’s the trailer and company (Cruiser RV) I have a problem with. The three years I had my Fun Finder was a nightmare. I hope by sharing my experience I had with Cruiser that I can keep people from going through what I went through.
Thanks for your comment.

 

[twinster2]

With regard to Lance trailers, although I've never own one, one thing that strick me odd was when one of our members that bought a Lance reported that you could not walk on the roof. Maybe it was specific to the model, but my thinking is if the trailer roof cannot support my weight, i would not want it.

 

[Bill Sorensen]

With regard to Lance trailers, although I've never own one, one thing that strick me odd was when one of our members that bought a Lance reported that you could not walk on the roof. Maybe it was specific to the model, but my thinking is if the trailer roof cannot support my weight, i would not want it.

That’s not true. Most of the Lance trailers, including mine, come with ladders leading to the roof. When I was looking at the Lance, the salesman, 5’10” 165 lb guy, opened the cabinet door hanging from the roof and hung from it, looked at me and said “try doing this in any other trailer”.

 

[runner421]

Consumer Protection

I guess what amazes me is that it seems wide spread throughout all but the most expensive RVs. Granted "you get what you pay for" but poor quality, short cuts, and manufacturer apathy run rampant. There is no consumer protection agency for "travel trailers." RV dealerships for the most part can barely get a manufacturer to cover "warranty" issues. There's no blanket coverage as with cars. Dealerships sometimes seem less interested in helping the customer if the RV wasn't bought at their dealership.

 

[Marti-FUN]

I think poor quality is in every product made. Just read the reviews on Amazon for anything. It is inevitable when products are pushed through an assembly line faster and faster to meet quotas.

That said, I think our 2009 210 was made well. I still miss it and wish we could have kept it too. But I love our newer 5th wheel too and dh certainly appreciates the head room. I don't love the bigger pickup we had to have to pull it though.

 

[runner421]

I agree - just that it seems that most camper owners have no recourse if the nearest dealer/repair facility says: 1) We don't want to repair. 2) Manufacturer says it's not a covered repair. 3) Selling dealer says too bad.