Readers' comments:
Latest first

joelsr :   I have a 2007 Monaco CaymanXL, and generally am pleased with it overall. It's the lack of Q/C and the dealers lack of attention that bugs me. My sound system is not up to performance, leveling jacks had to be calibrated by me (lifted the pass. rear 4" off pavement); fuel sensor/system doesn't work (3rd sensor). When test driven the speed indicator read 85 while going 30, front end was out of alignment. I can go on and on. When Toyota gets into the RV business, we might see some consistent quality control from the factory.

Freezing in Canada :   New owners of a Holiday Rambler Ambassador 07. One month in and 30 days of electrical problems. We have lost a/c, furnace, hot water, washer/dryer, shore power, inverter, transfer switch, ems panel, duo therm panel, and counting... No response from email to Holiday Rambler yet. We would like the name of a manager at HR or just to know that anybody really cares.

Bob K :   We own a 2006 Fleetwood Excursion and love it. Have lived in it for a year and a half, criss crossed the country twice and the only complaint I have is the cost of diesel fuel. The Freightliner chassis and CAT engine perform great. The key to a trouble free rig is ensuring all preventive maintenance is done as called for in your manuals. And always remember the best warranty in a well stock tool box.

jesse :   has anyone owned an everest by keystone . if so what kind of promblems? due to that we are going to buy a fifth wheel please let us know.

Seattle Bill :   I find the same problems here in Washington. I have found this problem with a lot of the larger chain campgrounds. I won't give their name but I will supply the blanks for it. _ _ _

BJ :   We bought a new Winnebago in 1990 for our retirement years. Now we are being denied camping privleges in private campgrounds in both Phoenix Arizona and Ventura California. It is a 27 ft class A and we have taken good care of it so it is not a run down shack. What is the basis for this restriction? The parks are blaming insurace companies, various ordinances and other phony made up reasons. What is behind this?

Morris :   The fault lies both with the manufacturer and the dealer. I never buy motor vehicles new! Let someone else spend a year getting the bugs fixed. I have had nothing but good results from the Winnebago dealer that I use - LaMesa RV in Tucson, AZ. At delivery of a used class A, just about everything that can be done to make the coach acceptable has been done in advance. The small list of warranty work was always fixed promptly and professionally - replace defective parts rather than to patch them up, etc. Check the reputation of the seller as well as the manufacturer. Winnebago would not have been in business for three generations if they did not produce fair quality for the price.

Russ :   I am a believer in Tiffin Motor Homes. I have had 2 and driven 2 others, owned by someone else, I have been to the factory for minor repairs. My first was an Allegro boought new in 1 2005 at Lazy days in FL. Took it to Red Bay, Al to have some things added. I did not have one complaint on this coach. I traded it on an Allegro Bay (Fred) because it had 4 slides and was a diesel. Bob Tiffin is one of the nicest man you will ever meet. His door is always open. This is gospel

Paul B :   We bought a new 2007 Fleetwood Expedition this past April. All seemed ok until we hit the road last July for 2 months and then it all fell apart. From the refrigerator, closet hanger, satillite antenna, electrical and jacks plus the odometer. This is a short list. Needless to say there are too many systems that then to fail when you go bouncing down our crappy highways. Plus the quality control at the factories and dealers is really bad.

Milo Washburn :   This is 2008 and we live in a high tech good quality times by some of the really good auto firms. The RV firms for the mostpart live in the year 1947 with really no advances worth while since the RV's first came down the line. They are mired with companies who just have no company quality concerns. If you wanted to take them all on you could runthem out of business in about 1 yr. by just using the latest tech with good parts aboard and pay their workers adecent wage so they would want to make high quality unit. Shame on the American RV industry for making such shoddy products!

Annie :   Anyone have a problem with a crack in the side wall under the bedroom slide in a 2003 southwind? Had it repaired $$$$ and it cracked on the way home from the body shop, NOthing but problems with this one...ugh

Mac :   I just ran across this website, and it's great. I teach fire safety to RVer's and I thought I was the only one that felt this way. My biggest concern is the 12v wiring. Over 75% of the rv fires are started by a failure of the 12v connections. The wire runs are too long without being fused. Diesel pushers have more fires then any other RV for right now. Someone said if the manufacture keeps building junk, and we keep buying it. They won't stop, until we stop them. We have no help from the NFPA or RVIA who make the standards for safety. Someone from the RV buying public needs to be on the committee with the support of the RV buying public. Like that will ever happen.

Don S. :   We just purchased a new Monaco Diplomat motor home last year. Love the motorhome, hate the poor quality. Panels fell off, water leaks (floods), light fixtures fell off, bolts and screws missing, constantly finding more things that need fixing. As all dealers, DeMartini RV forgets you as soon as the sale is done.

Bob J :   Quality, Service are not words the RV industry should use. The industry has the same quality as the late 70's early 80's as the automobile industry except for the imports, Toyota Honda etc. I have an A class Imperial and it can get to the repair shop on its own!!! I guess it is hard to understand how CEO's can not see the past and change the direction the RV industry is going!!

Ed Medders :   I agree 100% with Bob on the issues that he has raised. Being an aircraft fabrication/modernization at the AirReasearch facilities where we upgrade and customize multi million dollar aircrafts, I have never seen so shoddy in some of the million dollor motor homes i.e., Provost, Newell etc. etc. Besides cheap connectors and wiring including Chinese made logic boards, the entire electro-mechanical craftsmanship sucks. Besides the external plush and facny color schemes, interior comes with very cheaply designed and poorly crated workmanship. It's obvious that the bottom line for the high end motorhome makers is the profit. So my advise for those interested in spending 100K or over (even 1 mil or more) is to buy an older classic and spend the money in upgrading it. It's no different than buying a real good old American or even European classic car and restoring it. Once you restore any classic Motorhome you are bound to get your money back it you have to sell it. But at least you have real hand made classic that is further upgraded with love and care. So for those buying the high end motohomes, stay away from fast talking bullshitter salesmen with all kinds of guarantees. Once the sale is over you could hardly get their attention.

John A :   Go to the consumer reports section of this website (see links above) and search for Winnebago. There's lots of stuff there.

Regina Lynn :   We are researching class c motorhomes and hope to purchase one in a few months. We are leaning toward a Winnebago Access. Any comments regarding quality, reliability and especially any problems experienced would be greatly appreciated.

Kimberley :   I am courious to know what problems you had with your Fleetwood Motorhome? My parents just purchased a 2002 with only 14 k miles. It broke down on them while on vacation this summer. We were told that dirt has entered the turbo and engine but all the airtake filter and hoses are intact. This Fleetwood is still under warranty however this is not covered. It seems like the engine was "contaminated" during assembly but I have no proof.

cooked :   Stay away from Forest River and Baydos RV sales in Fife Wa. if you expect any kind of warranty work to get done. We have Tires and Wheels that cracked on our first long haul and the belly pan flew off who knows where?

Merry :   We purchased a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion with 9K in April 07. We noticed a problem with the kitchen slide in that it was at an angle off over 1 in top to bottom and the floor was sagging as well. We contacted Fleetwood and the dealer in Springfield,Mo. We were given the name of Adventure RV in Davenport IA which was 60 miles from us. After 10 weeks, they could not correct the problem even though they said they had fixed it. We then drove 450 miles to Springfield to leave it for 2 months and find that it had not been fixed there either. Fleetwood claims it is not structural and are not willing to fix it. After owning a business myself for 21 years, I would be embarrassed to put a product on the market such as this and charge such an amount for it.

Out of Patience :   Two months ago, we purchased a 2007 Dutchmen 33' Class C on a Kodiak chassis and with a duramax diesel sengine. Before it left the dealer's lot, we found a tear in the mattress, a broken armrest on the drivers seat, and cargo doors that would not close properly. Of course, we had already closed on the sale. Three hours later, a slideout awning fell loose while driving 70 mph down the highway. A thousand miles later, I was told that all 6 goodyear tires and one rim were defective, and had to be replaced. Right now, I am parked in Salt Lake City waiting for a new transmission hose that ruptured. The coach has about 3,000 miles, half of which were on the coach to drive it to the dealer. Oh yeh, it took three tries of calling a GMC dealer before I found one that was willing to work on a motorhome, and that was only because I told him I had a "truck" over the phone.... he said he could "fix it today." Now it is three days later,and the part won't get here til tomorrow. To say that I am upset with Dutchmen is definitely an understatement. This is my 4th motorhome, three of them Fleetwood products, and ALL have had problems.

Bob :   As a former aerospace engineer I am appalled at how poor the layouts are (ergonomically) and how poor the quality of most of the interiors are put together. Cheap fasteners, low quality hinges, etc. etc. Garbage! I've had 6 motor homes and have spent tons of $$$$ keeping them running. IMHO, the worst part of RVs is the electrical systems. Total crap! We, as a group of RV owners, need to be more active in bringing in the government to extend the "lemon" laws. When we pay for RV stuff our money is 100% good, but we don't get back 100% in goods and service. This has got to change!

frustrated :   Has anyone had any issues or concerns with Dutchmen 2007 31 foot trailer. Too many to list here and getting the pass the buck treatment.

NewbieCruiser :   My new BT Cruiser has about a half dozen issues that should not have left the factory. The dealer listed each, and promised to fix them this week, without any conflict or argument, just a "Yup, that shouldn't be, we'll take care of it". Any RV is going to have issues, they are not made of marine quality, they are made lighter. They could be made better, and should be, no excuses. Unfortunately, today, issues are a part of RVing. I can live with minor issues, it's the big ones I'm afraid of; breaking down on a trip, wall delaminating and falling off, outraguous repair bills, ok, I better stop. I'm feeling ill. It'll be a good RV, it'll be a good RV, it'll be a good RV. I can hope, only time will tell.

Nora :   About to become an RVer but your comments certainly answered my concerns! Thanks -I'll continue to enjoy my Dodge Durango and watch the RVs on the highway.

George A :   Want to buy a 5th wheel. Have a rather steep driveway coming off the highway. How can I tell if the 5er can get up the driveway without dragging in the rear, etc.?

Patsy :   I have towed a travel trailer for over 18 yrs, the last one a jayco Designer 32ft and it has been totally delightful! It is my 2nd jayco and would love it if the quality of Jayco could be found in a class A diesel. I am so confused now about the class A I am seriously considering not buying one at all.

Ben :   If you want real quality, buy a Lazy Daze Class C. No dealers. The dealer 35% markup goes into original quality. Best unit that I know of. I own 'em and I love 'em. I have never heard these kind of complaints from LD owners.

Bernie & Saucey :   Our comment is actually a question :) In all of our rv trips, we've yet to see a small convertible being towed. We tow a Saturn, but would like to tow a convertible. Is this due to damage to the top? We've been to Texas 4 times, and to the last 3 years big hurricanes. Being we're heading into areas that we could use the rag top, we'd love to hear if anyone tows one. Thank you

Bill :   I purchased a 2004 Winnebago Mini Winnie in December 2003. Within a week or so, I turned into the Dealer about 4 or 5 pages of discrepancies from the dining table being crooked by 4 inches, the logos peeling off the side of the motor home, the ladder was not secured, but just thrown in the outside storage compartment, the copper line going to and from the Propane tank was not secured at all, and many other problems too numerous to mention here. My first MH was made by Fleetwood which we kept for 6 years and had structural problems with Fleetwood giving us the "one year warranty" bit. I was hoping to get a somewhat problem free coach this time, but actually ended up with more problems that with the Fleetwood MH. Such a shame to pay $88,000 for a supposedly nice MH and then to have so many problems with it. Wish I could take it back to Winnebago Industries and hopefully get another one. What makes one mad is the constant reminders in the brochures about the quality control and painstaking ways in which the MH is assembled and checked before shipping it out. That hurts. Thanks for letting me vent.

Carl N :   We've had 3 new rvs and all had some problems. I think the biggest problem is the dealer. They often can't fix things that they should fix and cause many problems. We had many electrical problems with one rv and the dealer tried over and over to fix it. It was never really satisfactory. We took it back to the factory and they fixed it in just 3 hours. All the problems went away and the factory agreed that the real problem was that the dealers techs just didn't know enough about what they were doing.

James H :   Every year the trailer and coach companies must improve to make the new models worth more and be more desirable. All manufacturers should have their bad points corrected every year and never make some of the blunders they keep making. All new campers should eliminate using wood for anykind of framing and replace it with aluminum, making them sturdier with less rot.

D Jean :   We purchased a 2003 Montana Mountaineer in March 2003. We traded in an '89 Prowler Lynx. In 2006 we had to replace the water heater because it sprang a leak in the bottom weld, a pin hole. The awning fabric came apart that same trip. The fantastic fan, actually it's a Northern Breeze, quit working too. When we had the awning fixed the RV man found the staples holding the aluminum flashing under the rubber roof were coming out on both sides of the roof. When our dealer contacted Keystone they wouldn't fix it because it was out of warranty. We had it fixed and when the man fixing it pulled the molding off to pull back the rubber roof the putty tape on the molding still had the paper on it against the trailer and it was wet. Thankful it wasn't wet under the rubber. The staples were put in the aluminum about 10" apart and most were coming up. We think this is very shoddy workmanship and expected Keystone to stand behind their product. Our Lynx never gave us major problems like the Mountaineer has and we had it from 1989 until 2003. The Mountaineer doesn't have 1000 miles towing on it. We are very disgusted and would like to know if anyone else has had the same experience with Keystone.

Chris and Mo :   We've had 3 new RVs one great, one OK and one more problems than we should have had. I don't think it's entirely a problem with the manufacturer I think it's just as much or more a problem with the dealer. We had 2 Fleetwoods, one great, one big problems. When I spoke to other customers of the 2 dealers they had similar experiences. Dealer not manufacturer the problem. The other was a National. It was OK just a few problems my friend with the same RV from a different dealer had a different experience. The dealer network is the manufacturers best friend and I think this is what everyone should check out before buying an RV.

WINDLASS :   My "high end" Winnebago Itasca Cambria broke down on the first trip...Ford initially unresponsive, spent night in Gas station after being towed out of road, had to call police to get tow; then, generator failed to start, door fell off closet; after tow to city and "fix", failed to start again. Finally started ... will take to dealer tomorrow.

Kevin North :   My experiences have been good apart from minor problems. The minor problems could mainly have been avoided by better quality control both by the manufacturer and the dealer. The biggest problem with this is taking it back to the dealer for these things to be dealt with during the warranty period.

Fred :   Not much more to add other then the last three RV's (Class A) I've owned the quality was terible. I currently own an 06 Holiday Rambler Ambassador. Up to May 2007 it was at the dealer since Dec 06, now they say it needs to go back to the manufacturing facility to cut the hole bigger where the slide goes.........Anyone knows how to contact a Monaco superviser or manager please let me know.

DarnMad :   From the cheap way the RVs are being built and the outragous price they want for them has reached the buyer beware stage. This is regardless of the manufacturer. Just as well say they came from China.

Curtis :   I guess we wil have to wait until the Japanese get into the RV market before we can expect constant quality

kjstormy :   We have owned 3 motohomes since we began fulltiming. Two were Fleetwood products and the last one is an Tiffin product. The first new one was a Southwind Storm and Fleetwood was very responsive although one of the service dealers was horrible. The present motorhome is a Tiffin product and although we had more problems than with the Southwind they are excellent to work with. I just can't say enough good about the factory. We still have had problems with the dealer repair service, however, but whenever possible we tried to deal with Tiffin directly and they allowed us to make some of the warranty repairs ourselves and supplied the parts. We think they are wonderful to work with.

Larry S. :   I love camping, only truly relax when doing so, and, at this point, am ready to throw in the towel since we have had lousy luck with all of our RV purchases (about 10 now)and across a number of manufacturers; all with terrible quality and many issues.

Chuck Loomis :   I have owned class A motor homes for 33 years all bought new. Manufacturers do not care the slightest if the coach meets minimal quality, put some glitz in it and people will buy it. There is not enough room in one book to tell my horror stories. I have owned Fleetwood,wanderlodge,Country Coach and many other brands. If you want it right you would have to buid it yourself.

rvguy79 :   The quality issues are joined at the hip with the consumer's ever growing appetite for discount shopping and the manufacturer's and dealers ever growing appetite for volume in the face of minimalist mark-ups. As a salesperson representing a number one line of rv's in terms of engineering and quality it continually amazes me both the way the typical rv customer ignores quality over pricing and the number of consumers seeking to enter the rv market without resources. I personally am a boater by choice and cannot begin to understand how rver's continue to drive down quality in the face of already low pricing as compared to the marine industry. Mention stainless steel to an rver and they would think you were talking about dinnerware. Rver's in general get the products they deserve with the exception of "some" motorized consummers who do pay for and should recieve quality!

John :   We have owned 2 new class A motorhomes since 2001. Both had many problems that should have never been allowed to leave the factory. The manufacturers really don't care about the quality after the sale. As in our case, both motorhomes were Fleetwood high end class A's. There standard answers are: not our problem. you need to talk to Cummins, Alison, Norcold, Powergear, Panasonic, Etc.. And when the side of the newest coach is delaminating and literally falling off the answer is: "Sorry, only a one year warranty" but we'll fix it if you will pay for it. This industry is ripe for a foreign company to come in and do it right.

Susan L :   We have owned 5 RV's our Holiday Rambler was a real lemon. The Allegro Bus from Tiffin that was the last one that we owned was the best most wonderful RV we have ever had. We just bought a new Coachmen, I would love to hear from people that own the Crosscountry's to see how they like them and what kind of problems if any they have had. Ours is a 2006

Synethetic Oil User :   RV's can be made to get better fuel economy why won't they do it? MORE ALTERNATIVE FUELS THAT ARE CHEAPER is what we need!! Why depend on foriegn oil?

Dan B :   There are a lot of good RVs out there but some look like what happened to the car industry. US cars in the 50s-60s-70s where just cranked out with poor quality till the Japaneese started paying attention and by the time the US got the wake up call it's too late. If TOYOTA starts to make RV's watch-out.

Seeker of Quality :   As long as buyers will pay for junk, the manufacturers will produce it. There are few RV manufacturers who actually care about quality. It is cheaper to send it out without quality control and pay a repair facillity to fix the bugs the buyer happens to catch. Others go undetected. Cabinets should not fall off the wall! Slides should open and close without repairs. All systems should work correctly. If buyers would let their dollars do the talking, and only buy brands with proven reliability records like Born Free and Lazy Daze, the industry would change. (I don't know anything about the expensive Class A Motorhomes.)

Homer :   I also agree with the survey's results. My motor home came with so many obvious quality control issues I would have been ashamed to affix my name on it. Sure they fixed them as I reported them. I spent many hours and money taking it back to the dealer. The dealer really could have cared less. He complained constantly that the factory did not compensate him adequately for warranty repairs. I am also sure he billed for many items he never touched and for hours of labor he never expended. The whole thing is a crap shoot with customer being the schmuck. We need company owned zone repair stations over the country.

Tom A :   I completely agree with this. We have had 2 new RVs and both had many problems - mainly minor - that should have been dealt with during manufacturing. Quality control was simply not good enough. Finding a good service facility is also a big problem also. Many times the repair is not carried out properly and there is a need to take the RV back to the sevice facility again.