Coachmen RV - quality audits give the best score ever
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Coachmen quality improvements

"Quality of the RV is the top consumer concern"


The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) completed its September quality audit of Coachmen's Indiana facilities and gave the RV manufacturer the best score it has ever received.

Members of RVIA are required to allow the industry association to conduct a number of quality audits each year. During these inspections, auditors arrive unannounced with a checklist of more than 850 code requirements to examine. Any code requirement not met by the manufacturer receives a deviation listing ranging from a Class A deviation (most severe) to a Class C deviation (least severe).

"We received a perfect score across the board with the exception of a single Class C deviation (least severe) in only one plant," said Michael R. Terlep, president of Coachmen RV Group.

"To date, our average audit results have improved 71 percent compared with 2006 averages. This is not just a one-time improvement," Terlep added.

Another audit was conducted recently by Ford Motor Company to ensure Coachmen meets the minimum requirements of the Ford Quality Program. Coachmen scored 104 out of a possible 105 points. 

RVIA research shows that “quality of the RV” (or lack of it) is the top consumer concern with the recreational vehicle industry.

Read the full press release here  
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"Quality of the RV is the top consumer concern"
What do you think?  Add your comments below ...

   

Readers comments:

Greg :   I'm seriously considering buying a 2009 Spirit of America (Alumicage version)trailer. Is this a mistake or has Coachmen improved in the last few years from the previous complaints?

Ronnie Ennis :   We purchased a 2007 Coachmen Georgie Boy Pusuit from a Camping World Dealer. It is a total disaster. Been in the shop for same repairs 6 times in 12 months. Slide outs have holes around the seals that you can see in one side and out the other. Anything can crawl in these holes. The slides are not level causing them to be in a bind and not opening or closing properly. The workmanship, quality and material are all inferior. Coachmen or the dealer just give us the run around and great promises. They ask us to take the coach back to trade it to make us satisfied and happy, but it was a ploy to do some more patched up unauthorized work. We were finally told we did not have a cold weather coach and all these problems were normal. We think they should have to give us our money back and take their junk back. We, the customers should band together and put them out of business.

KIM :   I RECENTLY PURCHASED A SPIRIT OF AMERICA TRAVEL TRAILER. I WAS VERY EXCITED AND NEW MY PURCHASE WOULD BE A COACHMAN....BOY I WISH I HAD DONE MY HOMEWORK THE QUALITY OF THE WORKMANSHIP IS TERRIBLE. I AM A TRAVEL NURSE AND SHOULD HAVE MADE A DRY RUN OF THINGS BEFORE I TOOK IT ON AN ASSIGNMENT AWAY FROM HOME. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. I WILL BE MAKING ANOTHER PURCHASE INTO A BIGGER ONE NOW THAT I KNOW THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO BUT IT WILL NOT BE A COACHMAN PRODUCT.

KC :   My wife and I just bought a 2009 coachman captiva. We have had it a month. The shower is leaking it always blows the breakers if i have the lights on and try to run the micro. The dealer we bought it from is no help.

Greg Smith Owensboro, Ky :   Greg S: I have a 2003 Coachman 249Qb And the floor is rotten. After looking at the seamseal on the outside corners of my rv, I noticed this was a product they tryed to use in the auto glass industry called butyl tape , this was a complete failure. After looking through the floor of my coachmen it was too late. This manufacture needs to not to be worried about thier reputation it speaks for itself. They will not be in business much longer. Thanks coachman for my first and last purchase with your logo. pos pos

Arizona :   We have a 2006 Coachmen RV. Second time out we got locked inside the vehicle, had to call a locksmith to unlock the door because the bolts were loose. The electrical system has never worked properly with generator power. The shower leaks. Now the dash a/c stopped working and of course it's only covered under a 1 year warranty.

Amanda :   Let's get together and get a class action law suit going. If there are others please email me!! Put Coachman in the subject of your email. My email address is amandagaribay@yahoo.com They should not be in business.

Bill :   My Coachman Concord is great. Not a single problem. We love it.

Paulny :   I purchased a 2007 Coachman Concord 275DS if it were a boat it would be along side the Titanic!! Leaks in front, flooded the drivers cabin so bad my atlas and maps just fell apart.In the back it leaked over the window and soaked the window box!! On my way to the dealer I hit a bump and the window box ripped out of the wall because the wood was so wet it could not hold the screws, it fell on the bed and ripped the bed spread. I have had all kinds of electrical problems. My first trip out the radiator had a stripped fitting that let go, what a nightmare that was!! As far as getting anything fixed in a reasonable amount of time "FORGET IT"!! Also getting in touch with Coachman and getting any kind a satisfaction is a JOKE!!! I emailed the President of the company only to get apologies and phone numbers of who to call. The "who to call people" are a waste of time and could not care less that their boss told me to call them. I have been told that all RV makes and dealers are the same and that once they get our money we are just another face in the crowd! I have spent more time at my Coachman dealer last summer then on the road trying to get everything fixed before the warranty runs out. The big stuff like stove and frig. things like that are fine, its the man made stuff that Coachman has no quality control on. It is like they come to work drunk or stoned and just slap these coaches together! YES!! A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT, WHO CAN HELP US???

Jerry C. :   I purchased a new 07 Coachman Concord in August on 07. Since that time my coach has been in the shop over 3 months with repairs mostly water leaks and damages. Now Coachman is suggesting I take it to their dealer in Indiana so they can make the repairs that the dealers Happy Trails in Rockwall and Lone Star RV in Harker, Texas could not make. I am really frustrated the $92,000.00 unit would have so many problems and have to be in the shop so much. Water leaks, electrical problems and just on and on. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do, or who I can get in touch with? Is there a site that would discuss problems such as this. My email address is jerrycrum1@tx.rr.com

John B. :   I have a 2006 Coachmen Concord and all I can say is that they had no where to go but up. Employee workmanship is terrible.

I Despise Coachmen RV :   We have a Coachmen that is a complete POS! From day one we've had life threatening thing happen inside of the RV. I'm going to make sure that every one hears about how horrible Coachmen is. I think if there's other's out there we should get a Class Action Lawsuit going on. Our's was never put together correctly and what a scary experience we had to go through.

Leslie :   I need to contact Mel Williams. Need to finalize correctly our exchange for our new unit. Urgent Matter.

Paulny :   DEAR COACHMAN, IT! THE WATER DAMAGE IS SO BAD AND HAS TAKEN ROOT, TEN YEARS FROM NOW THERE WILL BE NO CAB FLOOR. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO KEEP A 6 MONTH OLD UNIT THAT FROM DAY ONE BROKE DOWN AND HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!! FROM ELECTRIC SHORTS TO SPLITTING WOOD A CRACKED RADIATOR. IT IS A NEW UNIT WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH HAVING THE WOOD WALLS REPLACED. IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM HAS HAD IT MANY TIMES NOW TO TRY AND REPAIR THESE THINGS. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SOMEONE WAS LYING ON THE BED WHEN THAT BIG HEAVY WINDOW BOX FELL DOWN??? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRETTY BAD. I BELIEVE THAT THE NEW YORK LEMON LAW GIVES THE DEALER THREE CHANCES TO REPAIR A PROBLEM. I TRIED MAKING A DEAL FOR A TRADE IN BUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO GIVE ME FOR MY UNIT WAS NUTS! WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE I SHOULD GET MY PURCHASE PRICE ON A NEW ONE! REPLY: Thank you for writing regarding your Coachmen. We are very sorry to hear of the difficulties you have encountered. Please contact our Customer Service Center at 800-453-6064. Our professionals will assist you in getting your concerns addressed as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you need any additional help, please do not hesitate to contact me direct. Thank you again for writing, we look forward to your call. Mel Williams Owner Relations Manager Coachmen RV Group

Terry G :   This sounds fantastic. Could make RVs lighter so we can carry more with less weight restrictions and maybe cheaper!! Bring it on.

John A :   I think that quality is the top consumer concern in the RV industry and I hope all the other manufacturers are taking it just as seriously. Congratulations to Coachmen.

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