Frustrated with quality

[scenicjets]

So took our new 266 KIRB in to have some factory defects fixed after having the trailer for a couple months, Pantry door trim split, front decals ripped, outside speaker didn't work. I realize some things happen but we bought a new $14,000 trailer that didn't have a single issue and now we buy a $45,000 trailer with this. But wait, it gets much worse. When the dealer took it in to do this work which was scheduled to take 2 weeks (really) they looked at the awning roof and discovered one of the slide out roofs had huge tears in it. This was caused by one of the industrials staple that was used to hold the main rain seal around the slide out.
I feel lucky they did find this before huge water issues started but also really mad as it is spring time and time to fishing and camping but know they tell me it's going to be at least 4 weeks before they can have material and get it fixed. In rv repair time I'm going to guess that is more like 6-8 weeks if I'm lucky. In the mean time I'm paying on a trailer I can't use. I emailed cruiser but haven't heard back not like they care.

Spitting nails mad.

 

[Silverado-FUN]

Warranties are not as great as they are cracked up to be, most things I find are better repaired my self. The over all materials and construction of our unit is good it is the few little details that get me. Hot and cold water backwards, no insulation in behind the out side speakers, the thin paint on the frame and the dinette light not fastened into anything but the foam insulation. Also look for open 2.5" holes through the floor for wires and hoses, I had to fill 3 of them, one under kitchen sink, bathroom vanity and under the fridge where the hot water heater is. The dealers have their techs rush through their PDI'S too quick. They could save allot of warranty issues if they just slowed down. Silverado

 

[Chirpz]

I bought our 189FBR used, it is an 08 model. No major issues. We also lack insulation behind the outside speakers and there is a lot of wasted space that they just covered over instead of making it available. We had a short sewer vent pipe that vented into the ceiling...it was short by a few inches. We also had to seal the holes in the floor that were previously mentioned. Ours were partly sealed but not well done.

 

[scenicjets]

So been almost a month since they found the ripped roof on the slide out. Guess in Cruisers defense they asked the dealer for pictures and it took them a week to send them. That being said the material showed up yesterday to the dealer and it was the wrong color. Wow and again I sit here making payments on a brand new trailer I can't user. Cruiser hasn't gotten back to me on that email. Not finding the fun here. And pretty ticked at this point. Won't recommend one of these to anyone.

 

[Silverado-FUN]

It's a shame you are having so much grief, I think most owners are generally happy with their Cruiser RV's. Hopefully they make it right. Keep us posted.

 

[twinster2]

I have to say that part of the fun for me is fixing or modifying my FunFinder. Its like therapy, but cheaper.

 

[M Wilkie]

I have to say that part of the fun for me is fixing or modifying my FunFinder. Its like therapy, but cheaper.

It's apples and oranges; their grief at throwing good money into something that has so many issues and your joy at fixing things. That comes up on here a lot. Some in here take pride in doing that. But on the other hand if we bought cars that had as many problems as these rv's have all of us would be really pissed, even those of us who enjoy being a handy man. RVs in general are built like crap and quality is a thing of the past. Way too many horror stories.

 

[Silverado-FUN]

It's apples and oranges; their grief at throwing good money into something that has so many issues and your joy at fixing things. That comes up on here a lot. Some in here take pride in doing that. But on the other hand if we bought cars that had as many problems as these rv's have all of us would be really pissed, even those of us who enjoy being a handy man. RVs in general are built like crap and quality is a thing of the past. Way too many horror stories.

Yes they are poorly pieced together. Just be glad you do not own a $400,000 dollar diesel pusher, then you would really hate it. LOL My Dads Newmar Dutch Star 44' Diesel Pusher is well built and still is very problematic. The fancier they are the deeper the pockets are needed to operate them.

 

[M Wilkie]

Yes they are poorly pieced together. Just be glad you do not own a $400,000 dollar diesel pusher, then you would really hate it. LOL My Dads Newmar Dutch Star 44' Diesel Pusher is well built and still is very problematic. The fancier they are the deeper the pockets are needed to operate them.

If I wanted to spend $400,000 or even $40,000 I would not spend it on an RV. We will spend more to buy one to live in full time in the future if we decide to do that. But never for another one to take trips in. And, we will never buy new. Let someone else take the hit for the depreciation and the grief of fixing all the factory screw ups. And we would never need anything bigger than 30 feet. We don't want to be restricted from the best natural places. RV resorts are not us!!
It seems like some people like to show off their huge rigs to each other the same way they do their homes. Silliness.

 

[Silverado-FUN]

If I wanted to spend $400,000 or even $40,000 I would not spend it on an RV. We will spend more to buy one to live in full time in the future if we decide to do that. But never for another one to take trips in. And, we will never buy new. Let someone else take the hit for the depreciation and the grief of fixing all the factory screw ups. And we would never need anything bigger than 30 feet. We don't want to be restricted from the best natural places. RV resorts are not us!!
It seems like some people like to show off their huge rigs to each other the same way they do their homes. Silliness.

Yes we agree, the original owner bought it new for over $400,000 and put 5000 Km on it then became terminally ill. His widow then had to sell it for cents on the dollar. We prefer to put our money into real-estate not high depreciating autos and RV's. The operating costs of these rigs are high enough without the heavy initial purchase when new.

 

[Dakota 1120]

Sadly, folks living beyond their means and/or on credit has become the American way of life for most. And that approach is pushed in commercials daily.

Only financed a car once and a house once. Much smarter and simpler to save and pay cash than pay interest!

 

[Terry-FUN]

Quality??? Bought a new 2013 21 ft, have had it in ten times for repairs: speakers, awning, awning motors, floor, shower, stereo, electric jack, lights, water pump . End cap started fading immediately: RV America said "not our problem, contact Cruiser" Cruiser will not answer, will not return calls, will not answer emails, could care less. Next time will pay extra and get quality, not Cruiser.

 

[M Wilkie]

Quality??? Bought a new 2013 21 ft, have had it in ten times for repairs: speakers, awning, awning motors, floor, shower, stereo, electric jack, lights, water pump . End cap started fading immediately: RV America said "not our problem, contact Cruiser" Cruiser will not answer, will not return calls, will not answer emails, could care less. Next time will pay extra and get quality, not Cruiser.

Here is a place to vent about it. (Besides here). I don't blame you for being angry. I would be too. I have seen very few people who actually got Cruiser to respond to them.

https://www.pissedconsumer.com/cruiser-rv/RT-F.html

And consider this if you want quality.
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/trailers/legacy-elite-2/

 

[Dakota 1120]

Every RV forum there are many with issues about their RV and it doesn't matter how much was paid for it. Some have more than others.

The buyer wants the best deal & most for the money when buying but seldom look beyond the appearance factors and into the actual material/construction aspect.

Yes, the manufacturer could use better materials and enhance their construction methods ~ but then would there be any buyers due to enhanced costs?

And the buyer should be more aware of exactly what they are buying and not relying just on what the salesperson tells them.

It's a two way street and the finger points to both sides IMO.

Personally, my purchase was from a dealership over 300 miles away (closest) and never needed any warranty work. For the $$ invested, I am pleased with my purchase made in spring of 2012.

 

[M Wilkie]

"Personally, my purchase was from a dealership over 300 miles away (closest) and never needed any warranty work. For the $$ invested, I am pleased with my purchase made in spring of 2012."
Eagle, perhaps that sentence should have begun with 'fortunately ' instead of "personally".
None of us really know what is behind the walls of the RV we become interested in. We generally don't even see a cut-a-way of the walls or a diagram of how the plumbing has been run. Most buyers assume 'solid wood' means a species of actual wood, not particleboard with a photographic picture of wood grain on it. Most of us would be horrified at the amount of staples in an RV, and the shoddy hit or miss glue applications. It seems that most RV shoppers go about it with stars in their eyes and care about the layout more than anything else. And I also think that when a husband and wife are both looking for a new RV, it is the wife that makes the final decision and usually from a decorating point of view. I also think that better quality does cost more. But not everyone can or should try to afford it. For the majority of RV owners it is just a vacation place to sleep, etc, that is used a small percentage of the year. I sympathize with every FF owner that comes on this Forum with a laundry list of complaints. And I never compare their experiences to ours because we didn't have that same experience. That would be wrong in my opinion, and not helpful or empathetic, just like saying "I fix it myself" isn't.

 

[brackenlip]

As I always say, "some assembly required".

If you are going to RV, you better be handy, because the service side of this industry is not much better than the build side of it. Learn to fix them yourself and you'll be a lot happier.

That said, yes, I have had a few issues to fix on my Funfinder in the last 5 years since new. But I have pulled it close to 50K miles. I have spent far less repairing it in it's 50K miles of life than I have either the Nissan or Ford trucks I pull with.

 

[M Wilkie]

As I always say, "some assembly required".

If you are going to RV, you better be handy, because the service side of this industry is not much better than the build side of it. Learn to fix them yourself and you'll be a lot happier.

That said, yes, I have had a few issues to fix on my Funfinder in the last 5 years since new. But I have pulled it close to 50K miles. I have spent far less repairing it in it's 50K miles of life than I have either the Nissan or Ford trucks I pull with.

The only way you know how many miles you put on your trailer is if you record the mileage every time you leave and arrive at a campground. Otherwise you are really just recording the mileage you put on the tow vehicle. I did that on our 11 month trip around the US in 1990. We put a lot more miles on the truck than on the fifth wheel.

 

[Dakota 1120]

. Most buyers assume 'solid wood' means a species of actual wood, not particleboard with a photographic picture of wood grain on it. Most of us would be horrified at the amount of staples in an RV, and the shoddy hit or miss glue applications.

The key word in your quote is "BUYERS ASSUME!"

When I look at new site built housing projects and how those homes are thrown together, it makes me shutter.......and shutter even more when one sees the price they sell for.

 

[M Wilkie]

The key word in your quote is "BUYERS ASSUME!"

When I look at new site built housing projects and how those homes are thrown together, it makes me shutter.......and shutter even more when one sees the price they sell for.

Could not agree more. People have learned to just shut up and accept everything to try to avoid more stress. Corporations know that. They train their customer service people to say the right things knowing that nothing will be dine that will incur more loss of money for themselves.

On the other hand, people keep buying things hoping it will fill some empty void in their lives or reward them for working so hard st jobs that sap their time, energy and self worth while forgetting they are doing it to pay for those 'things'. I see some young people waking up to this realization. Glad to see it.

 

[Silverado-FUN]

I would say the RV Cruiser line is not the best or worst quality out there. Like I have mentioned before allot of issues could be avoided if the techs who PDI'S the RV'S would slow down. Our dealer promised me 3 steps to be installed instead of the 2 steps from the factory. They were kind enough to bring them out to our shop and install them but needed too much modification in the field and ordered another set. The tech then proceeded to pull the audio unit out, I questioned him on what was going on and he said they were upgrading the stereo as the one installed was a substandard unit. (Great right?). He was working in fast forward mode but seemed to know what he was doing. After he was finished I asked him to look at the antenna as it would lift but not turn. Seems they sealed it too well at the factory and he had to remove a small amount of sealant to allow it to turn. After he left I went and turned on the stereo and it would not save the preset radio station. He was in such a rush he terminated the wiring incorrectly. I then took it apart and tested the power wires and corrected the problem. Luckily it was nothing major that would of caused damage issues. Word of caution trailer owners, inspect your service work that "was" performed.