Chinese RVs - Would you buy an RV made in China?  -  Roaming Times

Roaming Times - RV, motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, RVing



WOULD YOU BUY AN RV MADE IN CHINA?

Coming to a dealer near you soon?  Your views and opinions ...

In an earlier article, we asked "would you buy an RV made in China?"  We had an enormous response and you can read many of the comments below - and add your own opinion.

The article was based upon the fact that RVIA President Richard Coon and Vice President Bruce Hopkins had traveled to Shanghai, China to attend the inaugural China Sports and Recreation Show .

The event was a joint effort between the Chinese government and the country’s burgeoning recreation industry targeting businesses in the sporting goods, recreational sports, leisure travel and related industries.

"This show represents the launch of a very profitable business arena for Chinese RV manufacturers"
RVs to or from China? - or both maybe .. What do you think?
Read comments and add your comments below ...

Coon and Hopkins spoke at an RV Forum during the event, detailing the history and outlook for the RV industry in the United States. They also applauded the efforts to organize the show.

“I am thrilled to be part of China’s first recreation show,” Coon said. “Like the United States, I believe that China is a terrific country to discover by RVing. This show represents the launch of a very profitable business arena for Chinese RV manufacturers and a whole new world of outdoor recreation activities for the Chinese people.”

   
READERS' COMMENTS
(Latest comments first)

What do you think? - add your comments here  
  
authorcomments
I am a ChineseChinese are working hard to achieve the best they can. Chinese made RV will make the RV dreams become true.
KentukNO,NO.NO WAY. I HAD A 4wh drive tractor,(farm pro) made in china. It was CRAP! Within two years use about 150 hours on the meter, complete clutch assembly replacement, brakes, all elec. connections redone, switches, lights replaced, most all rubber boots, seals, gaskets and hoses replaced due to rot/poor quality/manufacturing. HARD to get parts for it. Impossible to get electrical parts and rubber seals and bearing seals and covers for tie-rods ect. Except for the light bulbs and some rubber hoses nothing else was interchangable with anything else. The manual that came with it was impossible. The importer/distruibuter was NO HELP. I found someone in Alabama who was importing a China made tractor and was able to get oil, fuel and hydraulic filters from him. When we sold our small farm I pitched in the the tractor and all attachments in the deal, even showed that yankee city feller how to start it and drive it. That was a year and two clutchs ago. SO NO WAY IN HELL WOULD I BUY A RV MADE IN CHINA. I have had six RV's and yepp most of them are apiece of s--T but I can get parts for them and get repairs done that I can't do myself. I do about 75% of my own maintenance/repairs AND MY MONEY STAYS IN AMERICA, If I have to buy junk I want it to be American junk. Well maybe German or Japan would be ok. I drive a Ford crown vic. and a Chevy pick-up, my wife has a Honda and a Audi TT Coupe (super-charged). All you people who want to keep America American please vote for the True American Man with the True American first name of John. The end
MadeinAmericaNo way, no how. I don't knowingly buy any Chinese junk.
Dan BAmerica is selling out. Everything we buy is made overseas and now the last bastions of American industry is in jeopardy. I laugh at the guy putting gas in his honda talking on his cell phone dressed in his chinese made clothes complaining about HIS job being outsourced overseas. We are in big time trouble and people are too busy trying to save a buck here and a buck there to notice it. It's going to bite us and I hope it won't be to late to do something about it. I know some people will laugh this off but China is one of the biggest threats to global security and that's where we are sending all of our money.
RobertWe are building motorhome shells in China..... Made as a bare or empty shell, ready for motorhome builders to finish on the inside, and add the awnings etc to the outside..... They are well made and use top quality international brand components...... this way motorhome builders and buyers can have their cake and eat it..... Realistically most of these will probably in the future be sold in asian countries, where RV,ing is just attracting interest.
GraceI think its bound to happen. Rvs are big value and they'll want to get into the market. They'll need to set up dealerships and the dealers will be willing to sell cheaper rvs if the quality is good.
China DevWell, you're too late. I am part of a team that has started neg. with a Chinese truck co. to build RV's there. The intended market is China/India as the network develops. First Order will probably be over 10K units. U.S. market can't even conceive of that. So watch for the announcement, "See the PRC in your new RV" coming soon.
John WahlstenSorry to say perhaps not Chinese (not been in business long enough) But yes on a Toyota or Honda. I had a Itasca Suncruiser 37' Class A. Owned it 53 months and it was in for repair 45 times. When traveling across the country I had to look for a repair place and then find a campground closs enough. WE LOVED the rig---but the problems drove us nuts.
PaulHELL NO...It is time we as American consumers think of the consequence of our purchases; not about how cheap we can amass crap. I gage my purchases largely on whether the worker receives a living wage for his or her efforts. Don't blame US mfg companies for outsourcing blame your self!!!
snuffyNot no but HELL NO!!!
roscoeAmericans don't own the concept of camping,, but if you buy a Chinese camper you will contribute to the death of yet another American manufacturer. The Chinese unit will NOT be better built,, it will only cost less because of the value of the dollar. When you camp,, buy American! (even if you were not smart enough to buy that American car or truck)
questminOn American Quality (I love America) but quality has been lost, I have read hundreds of pages about owners of new rvs and the bad workmanship they describe, so I bought a bus and reworked it myself and the help of a few others. After 5 years on the road and still runing strong with no major problems it can be done. Would i build another, no way and the cost to bring it in to service was huge. Maybe we could'nt aford to buy an rv at all if the quality and time spent were there to make it a true american rv. But Chinese, NO THANK YOU
Wake UPI do not know why my comments were deleted. The Chinese are exporting, not importing, and RVIA is selling all of its members out. Richard Coons leading the way.
orbal1Oh, c'mon, everybody!...Just vote for Obama...take your Paxil/Zoloft/Prozac/Cymbalta psychotropic(al) cocktails...and watch transfixed at the latest sports, American Idol, Oprah and Bad Girls Club TV shows!...IT'S ALL GOOD! @-D
Waldo BoomschlagerI couldn't agree more. I have been in the RV repair industry for a number of years now and I must say that "there is no such thing as a well built/good quality RV". If you think there is, you don't understand the definition of good quality. I see the crap (classified as RVs) come in to the shop on a daily basis for repair, many of them requiring repairs more costly than the unit is worth. It's good for me though, job security.
rewrlwNo not at all. we're have enough problems keeping people in the usa working .
sumtingwongJohn C wrote that he wanted a proven product so he bought an Airstream. If you talk to the old Airstream owners they will recommend buying a used Airstream built before 1993 or 4 as thats when it was sold out to Thor Industries and hence down hill on quality. When I went through the new ones I didn't see anything that would lure me to buying a new Airstream due to their enormous price. I also saw one of these icamp's at a show last Jan and they do look good as far as quality, They are american designed as most chinese made products are but I'm not ready to buy anything knowingly made in China.I bought 2 Dahon Bikes that I thought were made in USA but after they arrived the stickers on them said designed in USA and not mentioning where they were made. While stumbling throught he owners manual it said made in China BUT designed in USA. poohie
Pat DelgadoI definitely like the thought of foreign RVs. It took Japanese cars to improve US cars and maybe foreign competition would be good with RVs. Chinese? I'm not sure. Most stuff is Chinese now and most of it is OK. Japanese RVs would be wonderful.
BDKI looked at the price, size and weight of T@B rip off design. I would buy it for the same reason I wouldn't buy a T@B. The weight vs size vs cost don't add up to what you can get from several molded fiberglass trailers made in North America. If that's an example of what China can do, no thanks. I'll buy American or Canadian.
kwayneMy Forest River product is saturated with parts and systems made in China including inferior tires..The goofy part lies in the really sloppy finish work of the trailer which has nothing to do with China.. The manufacturers have rolled the dice on Chinese parts and systems while ignoring the all important quality control which is within their power to regulate.
AL BFifteen years and china will own the usa - lock, stock and camper...... Free trade - how about fair trade and no tax incentitves(my money) paid to corporations that send usa jobs and usa equipment to asia. No china rv for me. Invest in america, invest in yourself,
Charles B.After the lousy drugs and lead toys, I would not buy an RV made in China. At this point I would not (knowingly) buy anything made in China, let alone something so complicated. RVs made in the US could use improving regarding quality control. RV from China? Never.
blackrockjoeThe Chinese are LOOOOOOOOONG term planers. This secret agenda of China taking over is really no secret if you read The Biggest Secret By David Icke. Americans have short memories and our so called leaders are in cahoots with the Globalists to enslave us because the job of President is just middle management. It is the Rockefellers, the Windsors and Builderburgers that control the world...stop watching TV and read this book.
Al HHaving been a quality manager for a Fortune 100 manufacturing company I have been to China several times. I hate to disagree with many/most comments but Americans don't realize that most of the products made in China have been made for American companies, to the company specifications. The only reason China manufacturing has grown so fast, and large, is because they can build cheaper. I have been to factories that build products with top quality from start to finish. I have also seen the opposite, reminiscent of the Japan products until the mid 70s with poor quality the norm. If the government decides they want high quality RVs for export to the USA, you can bet that they will be high quality and reliable. I have owned six RVs and cannot believe the shoddy workmanship and inferior quality of many US made units. It seems like most of the effort of mfgrs. is appearance, not reliability. Have always wondered what would happen Japan started to export RVs to the US
John COne of the reasons we bought an Airstream is because of the quality. We wanted to keep it for a long time. The rest of the industry seems to strive for new ideas, not perfection of what they already make. No, I would not buy anything Chinese at this point, much less an RV or car. It's bad enough for things made in the USA, much less for a state owned company.
PatsyTo Glenn: Re: Providence...Please get in touch with Fleetwood..again...you must have gotten someone that is no longer employed there. We have had super cooperation from Fleetwood (not the dealer), keep calling until you get the upper crust and I bet they will make it right. I would never buy anything made by the Chinese!
fred bI'm for it if it will raise the quality just as the Japanese motivated US car makers to improve to world class levels. How many US RV makers use world class, ISO third pary audited, certified quality systems? None; that I know of.
PattiTo begin with, THINK ABOUT what they are trying to do. They want to destroy the economy of this country and everything else. THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED! They have been enemies for yrs..they have hated us for yrs.(their gov't that is). I hope the citizens of this country are smart enough to see what they are trying to do. The next time you get an Rx filled make sure it(the drug) was not made in China. A country that ALMOST killed our pets what more can you expect! We have very SHORT memories. WAKE UP AMERICANS! The Chinese may take us over yet!
Mary T.NO! NO! NO! The Global World Trade Market is already so unbalanced that our dollar is losing value faster than we realize. We are not only losing jobs, but quality and pride. Made in America is still best. Amen.....
Lou A.Our leading U.S. manufacturers of RV's need to think a little. Why is it the U.S. can produce the best fighter jets in the world and commercial jets with an unbeatable safety record, but in the RV world we seem at times to have access to our coach only when the dealership's service shop isn't repairing something. The RV industry doesn't need foreign made product. IT NEEDS TO CONSIDER BRINGING " JAPANSESE, NOT CHINSESE" AUTO TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS INTO THE RV INDUSTRY, AND COULD LIKEWISE LEARN A GREAT DEAL FROM THE AIRCRAFT BUILDING INDUSTRY. If you're lacking in quality control, which is obvious, bring in the right key people from other industries that understand how to straighten things out!!!
BridgemakerAs China grows a population with more discretionary income, and leisure time, the Chinese RVs will inevitably appear. And then they will be exported. But like for any imported motor vehicles coming into our home market, safety and EPA test results will be essential. The rest is academic.
AnitaI would not buy one made in China but if it's name was Toyota or Honda I would buy in a heartbeat. I've owned Japanese cars since 1990. Our American manufacturers have too little quality control. We just had a bad experience with a 2008 Trail-Lite.
RomanseI'm with Kay. WHY should I want to buy a Chinese-made RV when ones made in the US are a crap-shoot when it comes to quality. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but I darn sure will avoid spending my money on an RV made in a country with so many problems on so many levels.
MarkIf everyone keeps buying foriegn made products, maybe YOU will lose your job too!!!
hilly billy I'll second that my rockwood lives at the dealers lot
RichYou bet they'll buy and for those of you who will buy American Products oops ,look closely and you will see how much is actually foreign parts or built in another country. We Americans want the cheapest or best price so we end of buying foreign products.
SnowbirdetteI would think that it will be years before China makes an RV that can compete in the American market. We purchased an ATV that was made in China and it was about 1/2 the price of an American made. It was falling apart on the 2nd day we had it. Lucky it had a warranty and we gave back to the dealer and got our money back. We all should be worried about all the money that is flying out of the US, it is going to Mexico. We should be more concerned about what is going on south of our border. With that new Canamex Highway that travels all the way from Mexico through Arizona and soon into Nevada. Look it up on the net. I think we have much to worry about here in the US without worrying about China building RV's. All the other poison we are importing from China and bad produce from Mexico.
GizmodonAmerican RV's are expensive and yes, they sometimes have problems. Our advantage is most RV dealers in the US DO care about the consumer. I feel a RV from China would have inferior wire, plumbing and "cheap" construction. No thanks, I will stick with my Holiday Rambler and stay FAR away from a Chinese product.
John AI think the Japanese started making anything from household goods to cheap plastic toys and then moved to sophisticated electrical goods and cars. The Chinese are making everything and making everything better and cheaper. I think they will start making RVs probably with the cooperation of a US manufacturer. I think they are learning like the Japanese to improve quality and they'll gradually get a bigger share of the every market.
COWBOYIF THE PRICE IS RIGHT AMERICANS WILL BUY AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE THAT ARE NOT AMERICANS WILL BUY. TAKE A LOOK AT THE HIGHWAYS THE NEXT TIME YOUR ON ONE .A LOT OF RICE BURNERS.
JackOh well . . . Different strokes . . .
dbz7197No way!! I don't buy foriegn cars either. I buy good American made cars, Trucks, and RVs.I don't want to send my money out of the country.
GofishWe're trying to avoid anything made in China. Too many safety and health issues, both for us, and for their citizens.
DaveCould not be any worse than the piece of junk Gulf Stream sold me..I would purchase a 40 year old Military tent before I would purchase another JUNKSTREAM.
RobbieProbably not in the next 10 years. But I remember when we refered to Japanse motorcycles and cars as Japanse Junk; and they were. Look at them now. I haven't owned an American car for years. Trucks yes, cars no. American made RVs lack quality control because most manufacturers are not trying to build repeat business. We expect quality from American products so we usually do not inspect workmanship and engineering very closely. We look for eye appeal and function. Most RV sales are to new customers who will be too old to buy the second one.
GlennWe have just went throught the worst RV experience with a brand new '06 Providence. I will never buy a Fleetwood again. However, if the Japanese made RV's I would surely purchase one.
ratlpackAbsolutely not!!!!!
ToyotaMikeChinese RVs couldn't be any worse than the '06 Providence that I currently have. If Fleetwood and Freightliner give a rip about their future, they will pay attention to detail, take care of their customers and keep the competition at bay. If not, my next Class A could be a Tsing-Tsing pusher!
J SueNO! We already get poor quality on RV parts/accessories imported from China. Can you imagine the sidewalls of any RV constructed in China? What about the paint? What about the lack of quality on items like nuts, bolts, window trim? And the questionable list of construction grows & grows.
JimGiven Chinese manufacturers' total disregard for the health and safety of their customers (lead paint on toys, ground "meat" made of shredded cardboard, etc.) I go out of my way to avoid buying anything made in China.
12

 
latest RoTi RV reviews
Heartland Landmark fifth wheel"Heartland's flagship fifth wheel with stunning new features"
Roadtrek SS-Agile class B motorhomeUse everyday as an SUV but with all the motorhome conveniences
Dutchmen Sport Lite travel trailer"GREAT Name! GREAT Floor Plans! GREAT Value!" Floor plans ranging from 18' to 31'
Aliner folding camping trailer"The original solid wall, folding camper, proudly celebrates 25 years"
Casita small travel trailer"America's favorite lightweight travel trailer"
12345678910...

latest RVing news and articles
Why don't we see more fuel-efficient RVs?RV manufacturers are looking at the alternatives, but while we're waiting - "the most significant variable is the driver"...
RVers adjusting to the economy"RVers looking for ways to save money and cut costs"...
Five ways to improve your wireless network All campgrounds should give their customers the flexibility and convenience of working un-plugged...
Seat belts for pets in your RV?Pet restraints offer several advantages - "Pet Safety is key to a happy RVing"...
More snowbirds may become fulltimersPalm Beach County, FL snowbirds return. 'May become fulltimers if the economy doesn't improve'
12345678910...

  

Copyright 1999-2006 Roaming Times.  All rights reserved. Contact us. Terms of service.  Site Map.  About Us.  Corporate address: Roaming Times, 4575 E Bajada Rd., Cave Creek, AZ 85331