It’s no secret that the typical RV isn’t a high watermark for quality. You know it, I know it, and dealers know it, too. Yet, somehow, it seems quality got even worse during the pandemic. My parents bought a new camper in 2022 and it spent that year broken at the dealer awaiting parts. We’re finally using it now, but it’s not because it stopped breaking. This nearly-new camper is so poorly built that parts fall off on every time we take a trip.
The trailer in question is a 2022 Heartland Mallard M33. This is a large bumper-pull travel trailer that weighs 7,746 pounds empty, stretches about 37 feet from tongue to bumper, and is advertised as being able to sleep a big family of nine or more. Heartland is a family-oriented luxury brand within Thor Industries with a focus on following interior design trends. The Mallard model boasts an open floorplan and a supposedly lightweight design. Really, the Mallard looks like it’s trying its hardest to look like a mobile farmhouse.
My parents bought this trailer back in March 2022 and the trailer was just a couple of months old, having been built that January. The sticker price was $62,800 but Dad says he managed to get it for $58,000, or still not cheap. It’s been over two years since then and we’ve yet to be able to camp in this thing without something silly breaking.
You’re about to read about an impressive laundry list of issues and it may sound like I’m just straight up bashing Thor Industries. The truth is that I want everyone to be able to go out camping in their own way, be it in a sleeping bag under the stars or a multi-million dollar Prevost. Regardless of what “camping” means to you, I want you to have a good time. I want you to be able to spend 60 grand of your hard-earned money and feel like you’re getting what you paid for.
Every time I go to an RV show, I’m not just looking for something weird to write about. I’m scanning typical units and I’m talking with RV owners and RV dealerships. I have seen glaring quality issues with my own eyes and the operators of dealer chains have been open that some units are built like garbage. That’s a shame. I don’t want to trash RV manufacturers. I want them to build better products so families can create memories without worrying about busting out another thousand bucks to fix something that shouldn’t have broken in the first place.
Unfortunately, one of the brands that has disappointed me is Heartland Recreational Vehicles, and not just because of my parents’ unit. When I go to an RV show, I usually see a Heartland unit displaying what I feel is sub-par work. Sometimes it’s a fifth-wheel trailer pin box that’s covered in spray paint to cover up surface rust, missing fasteners, or interior trim that’s already coming off of a new unit being demoed for media at an RV show. Again, these are things I’ve seen with my own eyes over the past couple of years.
I’ll even give you photo evidence. The RV in the photo above is a Heartland Torque that was just a few months old when I took the picture. Rust was already appearing on the fifth wheel and someone just lazily sprayed paint on it in an effort to hide it. Check out the overspray on the decals:
Again, I’m not trying to bash the manufacturer here, just point out that regular people can see stuff like this and want the industry to do better. It’s not just me, either. RV experts have been blowing the whistle on bad quality for years. In 2021, Dave Solberg, an RV repair expert over at RV Travel, reported what we’ve all been seeing:
Most RV manufacturers build the cheapest rig as fast as possible
Keep in mind that most RV manufacturers strive to build the cheapest rig as fast as possible. Fit and finish is hidden with expandable foam, silicone, and a product called gimp, which is a vinyl strip used between cabinets and walls to hide uneven cuts and gaps. They use cheap fabrics, single-layer foam in cushions, and even low-level furniture that they give a fancy name like it’s designer quality when actually it’s a lower level than what you would find at a big box store!
Take a closer look. You’ll find particle board with a vinyl wrap, paneling used to look like solid wood, holes that look like they were cut out with a hatchet inside those cabinets rather than a nice cutout with decorative trim to finish it off. Nope, that all takes time, which costs money. Since the unit sitting across the aisle doesn’t have it, it’s a waste of money.
Things got even worse during the pandemic, with even dealerships sounding off about how bad things have gotten, as reported by RV Travel:
“It’s some of the worst stuff I’ve seen in 30 years,” said one longtime RV dealer. “It’s horrendous inside and out. But we have no recourse but to put it on the lot and try to sell it. You take what you can get, and you move on.”
The East Coast dealer said RV manufacturers are “building them as fast as they can, and there just isn’t any quality control. Manufacturers are not doing a good job of taking care of their customers. It’s gone from bad to worse.”
Friend of the Autopian attorney Steve Lehto frequently uploads videos about RV nightmare stories and there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to pointing out bad RVs. Liz Amazing lives up to her name:
So keep all of this in mind as you read on.
The First Time Around
Let’s start with what happened back in 2022, because that’ll just set the tone here.
My parents took delivery of a unit that was broken straight from the factory. Right out of the gate, the first thing I noticed was that the unit had cool LED light strips on the front cap. However, not only were these strips the kind of crap you get from Amazon for $20, but they were attached to the cap with a weak adhesive. Of course, the light strips were already peeling off and the trailer hadn’t even been on a single trip yet.
Honestly, that’s a small problem, but it got worse from there. I moved to the side of the trailer and found that one of the RV’s aerodynamic side skirts (the dealer tech calls these “J-channels”) was halfway through deleting itself from the unit. How were these even bolted on? Through cheap self-tapping screws. Then I saw how the sealant around every window looked like it was applied by a seven-year-old kid.
Somehow, it still got worse. One of the safety chain hooks fell off of the trailer on its first tow, the emergency brake cable disintegrated in my hand, and then there’s the rust. The trailer was just a few months old, yet the underbody had a surprising amount of surface rust. By that summer, the frame had more surface rust than our family’s old camper, a 2007 Adirondack by Thor. Don’t worry, the absurdity of that statement hasn’t escaped my family.
The solution to that rust? Our dealer said to spray the frame with Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer. Now, as a proud owner of rusty piles of junk, I’ve used a lot of Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer in my time. It works great to cover up unsightly rust and does seem to slow rust down, but in my experience, it is not a long-term fix for rust for cars, so I’m not sure how it would work for a trailer frame.
Mind you, all of this was discovered before my family even took the camper on its first outing. So, the camper went back to the dealer, where it sat for a few months waiting on parts. We did get the camper back in time for some summer camping, but oh boy did the trailer not want to go out. We found these problems merely attempting to take it on a trip, from one of my last entries on this trailer:
In addition to the safety problems, we found three light switches that weren’t even screwed in, random staples everywhere on the ceiling, a window valence that fell off a wall, and a bathtub that wasn’t even close to being installed correctly. In fact, the bathtub wasn’t even screwed in or secured, but just sitting in place. Because of this, there was a huge water leak when we tested the shower and tub. Amazingly, that wasn’t even the only place water was gushing out into the wrong places. The water heater also sprayed water all over everything inside and outside of the trailer.
All of these new problems meant that the trailer spent its first year sitting at the dealership. Sometimes, it took the dealership multiple tries to get things right, too. For example, the loose bathtub was finally screwed in by the dealership, but whatever tech did the job mounted the tub in a horribly crooked position. It took the dealership two more tries before the bathtub was finally correctly mounted in and as you’re soon about to read, it may have to go back again.
The rest of the year was spent waiting on parts or just a free technician. Our local dealer says it was swamped with work throughout the pandemic and immediately after, so even when the parts did come in there might not have been anyone to work on the camper. Oh, and while our camper was at the dealer for a year, someone broke in and stole some really specific items. They took precisely three dinette cushions plus all of the silverware, plates, pots, pans, and towels that my mom stored in the trailer.
The dealership later admitted that a tech took our cushions to put into another Mallard that came from the factory missing its cushions. But then, that guy just forgot to replace what he took, I guess? That also means someone got a brand-new camper with technically used cushions. It also doesn’t explain why someone stole plates, towels, and silverware. Thankfully, none of that stuff was special, but that just made it even more bizarre.
Finally, all of that drama ended in 2023. To our dealer’s credit, they fixed all of that stuff under warranty and even cut my parents a check for the stuff that was stolen while the camper was on the dealer’s property. That’s great!
Keep On Breakin’
Summer 2023 rolls around and my family is eager to finally take this trailer camping for the first time since it was purchased over a year earlier.
We thought we were out of the woods, but as I wrote last year, the trailer’s poor quality continues to show:
We first discovered things weren’t quite right when we tried to turn on the kitchen’s LED lights, which now don’t work. That switch knows what it did wrong…
Then, we tried to open the refrigerator to put food in it. The door jammed on the second closure, and when we tried to clear the jam, the door responded by snapping off its handle. I couldn’t help but laugh so hard that I started crying. This is the kind of stuff from a comedy movie, but a dumb one like an Adam Sandler flick.
And we’re not done yet. We found that the water heater wasn’t working. While I was troubleshooting it, I opened up the outdoor kitchen, which revealed that the refrigerator had pulled itself from the wall, taking its holder with it. Meanwhile, the ceiling of the outdoor kitchen is separating, causing a snow of particle board dust.
Inside, we found that the window shades don’t like to stay open on their own and perhaps thanks to Chicago potholes, interior wall trim is falling off. Also comical is the fact that every single fixture mounted to the walls is crooked.
I later found out that the water heater wasn’t working because its valves were still in the closed position from the trailer’s winterization. Unfortunately, the water heater itself immediately began leaking once I opened the valves. But hey, the water leaked outside of the trailer now, which was a marked improvement from the previous leaks!
Or, that’s what I thought. The kitchen sink began leaking out onto the trailer’s floor and the bathroom, which has its own door to the outside, had seals so bad that water got in during rainstorms. The bathroom door’s seal is such a joke that you can see outside light through the door when the door is closed. Just this weekend, I also noticed that there’s a part of the primary bedroom that isn’t sealed and thus you can see light through a tiny portion of the floor. It’s baffling me how nobody noticed or perhaps cared about this stuff at the factory.
But hey, these problems were not too bad, so my family took the trailer out a couple of more times before sending it back to the dealership for repairs over the winter.
Breaking Bad
Now it’s 2024 and the camping season is almost over. My parents were a bit too busy for most of the year, so they missed out on some good camping. I still took out the older Adirondack to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024, enjoyed some fun tent camping, and even roughed it out in the back of a Volkswagen Touareg back in March. I may love RVs, but I still don’t mind doing things the hard way every now and then.
Anyway, my parents decided to take the Mallard out for Labor Day. By my count, this is maybe the fifth or sixth time the trailer’s been slept in since my parents bought it. So, it’s not even really broken in. Or, maybe that’s the wrong phrase to use since it’s definitely still broken.
The dealer spent the winter fixing as many complaints as it could. The water heater had to be replaced due to an internal failure and the new one doesn’t leak. The refrigerator now has working handles, shoddy wiring was fixed and now the kitchen LEDs do work, the random staples have been removed, crooked fixtures straightened up, water leaks vanquished, and the outdoor refrigerator secured again. By the dealer’s own admission, they effectively spent the winter fixing what the factory failed to do two years ago.
Well, the dealer’s going to be back at it again this year. Unfortunately, the trailer’s bumper-to-bumper warranty has expired, so these fixes will be coming out of my parents’ pockets.
My dad says this weekend’s headache began before the trailer even reached its campsite at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park resort just south of Milwaukee. Dad reports that first, the cap for the tanks blew off on the highway. Ok, that’s stupid, but something that does sometimes happen with campers. Then he made me laugh immediately after when he said “Then, the handle for the black tank blew off.”
Alright, that one is new to me and I still cannot stop laughing. Look, it’s a small issue because you can still pull on the rod with your hand or a pair of pliers, but still, that’s silly.
Then there’s the glob of foam around the tank exit, which is supposed to protect the wiring underneath and keep wildlife out of the trailer’s underbody. Well, some animals have been trying to get their way through the seal.
Sheryl and I arrived at the camper on Saturday and we found that my parents filled the interior refrigerator to the brim with steaks and such, so Sheryl’s drinks had to go outside. That’s the great thing about having more than one refrigerator! Upon opening the hatch, I found more of the particle board “sawdust” material sprayed around the outdoor kitchen. The shifting wall problem has not been resolved.
Unfortunately, my parents have been told by the dealer there isn’t really a fix for this. The trailer’s frame and living unit are going to flex, which is going to cause these walls to move a little. I understand that, but it’s still janky as heck that you have to clean up what’s basically wall snow every time you camp.
This flexing thing is also occurring inside. I’m not sure the bathroom in this camper is deserving of being called a room. The walls of the bathroom are these outrageously thin pieces of board, and I’m talking thinner than cardboard. These boards are so thin that just trying to adjust the temperature on the thermostat causes the entire wall to flex. The walls are so thin that if you drunkenly stumbled into one you’ll end up in the bathtub.
The walls are also secured with this black piece of trim. Unfortunately, the trim dislodged during travel, which means everything is even looser than usual over there. Later, the trim finally liberated itself from the wall, hitting my mom in the face on its journey down to the floor.
With the trim completely removed, you can see and feel the absolute garbage quality of the materials used in the trailer’s interior and how they were put together. I get that the Mallard is supposed to be lightweight, but this is just bad.
It’s not just there, either. Trim pieces are buckling and falling off all over the trailer’s interior from the primary bedroom to the living room. The bathtub’s wall is also ripping itself from the paper-thin wall.
I also had to take a gander at the rust. Thankfully, most of it is still of the surface variety, but some parts are legitimately crusty like you’d expect from a Midwestern car after over a decade.
Again, this trailer is just two years old, yet it’s falling apart and rusting faster than the Adirondack, which is edging closer to 20 years of age.
Weird Design Decisions
When I wasn’t laughing about the broken tank handles or the walls separating, I began to notice some interesting design decisions.
Let’s start with the primary bedroom. Heartland boasts about the unit’s queen bed and truth be told, it’s a nice bed to sleep in. However, the bed also takes up the entirety of the primary bedroom, leaving no room to get dressed in, you know, the bedroom.
Then there’s really not much for privacy here. The Mallard has a hefty sliding door that blocks off the primary bedroom from the rest of the trailer. However, this whole deal is sort of stupid. First, the sliding door doesn’t lock, so there’s no real privacy. Second, the door scrapes the wall as it slides, leading to permanent scratches being put into the door. I think I can solve this with a bunch of felt pads, but again, it’s just another example of the manufacturer’s lack of detail.
There’s also little ventilation in the room. You get two HVAC vents, one tiny window, and the emergency exit window. That seems like enough until you put two people in the room.
The body heat of those two people is enough to make everything hot and stuffy. Opening the windows does nothing for this if there isn’t a breeze, so you’re left using the trailer’s HVAC system. However, you’ll find that the primary bedroom feels blazing hot while the rest of the trailer feels fine, so the other people in the trailer might not want you turning the temps down on the thermostat.
The smaller Adirondack has a solution for this with a bedroom roof fan. Sheryl and I have found that using the Adirondack’s roof fan keeps the primary bedroom in that trailer at about the same temps as the rest of the trailer. The easy fix for the Mallard was bringing my own fan and putting it in the window, but again, that’s a detail that could have been done at the factory.
Ok, my phone’s camera makes this look better than it really is:
Finally, the last oddity is that the Mallard has little side lighting despite having LEDs basically everywhere else. The awning has a dim LED strip and there’s a light for the outdoor kitchen, but that’s it. If you want to eat outside at night you’ll have to bring your own light.
Not All Bad
So, this trailer has found a way to break every time we take it out. Boat owners joke that “Boat” is an acronym for “bust out another thousand,” but this travel trailer is trying its hardest to be like one of those boats. The problems have gotten to the point where my parents don’t even want the trailer anymore, but there’s no chance they’ll ever make their money back on resale. So, they’re just shaking their heads and are sticking with it.
Despite everything that’s given my parents a headache, I do see some genuine good ideas at play here. The primary bedroom’s bed is legitimately comfortable, which I couldn’t say about the bed in the Adirondack or most travel trailers built in the 2000s.
I also like the open concept, which makes the Mallard feel a bit closer to a home and not an RV. Other high marks include the cool lighting, the trailer’s composite front cap, and generous storage. I also like how the unit tows with confidence and doesn’t entirely feel like you’re trying to ram a brick through wind.
There was some clever thinking with this trailer. There’s no way to access the rear of the trailer when the slides are closed, yet there’s a second entrance door right there to the bathroom. So, you could read the Morning Dump in a parking lot with the slides closed if you need to.
I also love how the main entry stair touches the ground. All RVs should have stairs like this. You no longer get the feeling of instability while climbing the stairs. Also, stairs that rip out of the trailer’s body, which is something that has happened to my family in decades past, are now a thing of the past. That’s genius!
If only the rest of the trailer were built like the stairway is.
As always, I want to end this with some advice. Never buy a camper sight unseen. I don’t care how good it looks in an ad or what the salesperson says. Go hook your own peepers on it before exchanging a dollar or agreeing to anything. Even better? Get a pre-purchase inspection. This is good advice for buying a car, too. Find someone who knows what to look for and have them take a look.
Speaking of cars, don’t think that RVs are built like cars or like houses because, usually, they aren’t. Don’t get blinded by flashy features or a cute design. Keep your eyes peeled for problems. If a brand-new unit is rusting only a month out of the factory, you might want to reconsider.
I do have some good news. While there’s so much bad in the RV world right now, you don’t have to settle for something poorly built. There are brands with a reputation for quality, even if you have to pay more to get it. Brands like inTech, Happier Camper, and Scamp have their own issues here and there, but a lot of happy campers. It’s why I try to highlight some of the cooler RVs out there when I find them.
No matter what you do, have fun. That’s what this whole camping thing is all about. Regardless if you’re in a tent or in a bus, just get out there and have fun.
There’s a guy near me that secret shops RVs, plus runs his own repair shop, as well as reviews and even put together an entire course on Rvs. His newsletter is usually filled with helpful tips and advice. https://undercoverrvshopper.com/
So, OK. I bought a pop-up at auction. All in, about $1300. I’ve done some maintenance, and will be swapping in some stuff, taking out some stuff, but I haven’t spent a total of 2k yet. And it’s worked out great.
I don’t get spending so much money on these. There are options out there
I think you should peel off the Mallard stickers and get new ones made in the same font that say “MERDE”
Built entirely from staples and cardboard. Good luck!
“these fixes will be coming out of my parents’ pockets.”
Oh hell no.
Agreed. Please don’t invest any more in this pile of garbage!
Never should have accepted it in the first place.
Yeah I got to the part where it’s going back to the dealer this winter…not under warranty and did a 1970s Scooby-doo as cartoony as it gets double-take.
I cannot even imagine spending that much on something that was always broken. I would enrage me to the point where I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.
I’m really not trying to offend…but First World Problems.
If it’s a complex machine, and I don’t use it very often I rent it when I want one.
Jetski, boat, RV, etc…
Neighbors bought a Mallard a few years ago, they could have written this story. Terrible construction, things breaking all the time, constantly in the shop. I also bought a Grand Design the same year, it was better but still not great. I will never buy another RV again they are all just utter crap. The two happiest days of an RV owners life are the day they buy it, and the day they sell it. If I ever have the urge to do the RV thing again, I’ll rent one.
The most disappointing part of the new rv market is that they seem to have caught on to the ongoing joke about adding the word “anal” to their name.
”Anal Heartland Mallard” just doesn’t have same ring as the “Anal Wildcat” or “Anal Explorer”.
I love this game. “Anal Jamboree”. My girlfriend does not find it funny.
Remember the Dodge Beaver?
Anal Beaver?
https://www.theautopian.com/home-sweet-home-away-from-home-1980-dodge-beaver-vs-1983-ford-tioga/
If anyone is looking for a great deal, it looks like Camping World near here has a brand new ’24 Mallard M33 for a cool 44k!
Lol.
I’m not as anti-camping trailer as most here, but I do see tremendous risk tying so much cash/financing into a giant box of particle board made by goons under management who couldn’t give a shit, and dealers that reek of Matilda’s dad vibes. I do get why they work for some people though. My coworker uses his for the seemingly endless number of sports tournaments his kids participate in, as well as vacations. They have probably slept in that thing 30+ nights a year for the past 5 years without an issue. I also know people who use these as glorified mobile homes, plunk it on your land or a relatives land, and you have an extra sleep space without the prerequisite massive tax bill that would be associated with building something permanent.
But you really, really need to consider what your needs are, and whether it truly makes sense to own one. Have time to vacation/camp only once or twice a year? Please don’t. The longer these sit and the less attention they get, the more likely problems will develop without being caught early enough. These trailers are meant for people whose main source of entertainment is to bop around damn near every weekend.
Personally, I’ve always liked the idea of one that I can just barely cram the family into, but more as an auxiliary sleeping area for visiting various family/friend properties. I wouldn’t touch an Elkhart POS, but would be open to something like a Scamp or Aliner.
My friends bought a new A-Liner. There’s isn’t quite as bad as the Mallard described here, but they’ve had WAY more problems than one should with a new RV.
Good to know. I always get worried about pop-up style designs, moving parts and all that. Was hoping for the price that the Aliners didn’t have as many issues.
Whoops, theirs.
Aliner was great.
Bought by Thor.
Downhill slide has begun.
Ooops, Aliner is still independent. There were rumors of a buyout, but that must have not happened.
The only RVs I’ve seen that seemed like they had more than ten minutes put into the fit and finish are Airstreams and the GM motorhome.
Airstreams last forever. They retain enough value over time to be worth repairing. We had a vintage Airstream; we did make repairs over time, but we kept it for 15 years and sold it (in one day) for more than we paid for it.
Airstream is an anomaly among Thor brands. I’ve seen/experienced slightly better among Forest River brands – specially their aluminum framed lines. In general, if you want an RV with halfway decent quality, look for something made by a brand that’s not owned by private equity or a publically traded conglomerate.
Most of the molded fiberglass ones are pretty good, too. Oliver in particular is probably the best quality out there by a decent margin. Escape is solid on attention to detail, and Bigfoot’s pretty sturdy overall. Really, just steer clear of all the Thor and Forest River brands (which combined are about 90% of the market, so easier said than done).
Winnebago is usually worth adding to the list as well; they’ve been making towables for a while now. Typically more expensive for any size class, and interiors that may seem more basic/fewer bells and whistles than the competing Thor & Forst River products. But typically screwed together straight and with better warranty support and factory parts support post-warranty. If I recall correctly, a big reason they decided to diversify from just motorhomes and into towables was because their market research indicated that the buyouts and consolidations would continue to the level we have today, and they’d be able to carve out a market niche pretty much the same as their motorhomes — a little more basic, but built better and concentrating on a few designs and floorplans that they could continue to crank out reliably for years under acceptable quality control. They basically bet on the industry racing to the bottom, leaving them to build a better trailer by default.
It’s just as bad in the motorhome segment, really. Thor and Forest River have scooped up a huge number of brands, and the quality problems are the same. They build motorhome shells pretty much the same way they build trailers, just on self-propelled chassis.
Winnebago was typically a cut above a lot of the general-market motorhomes anyway, as long as you weren’t looking for something terribly fancy. Always a little more basic, but built better and tended to last longer. Simplicity usually paid off. A few years ago, Winnebago bought Newmar, which is a little more upscale. From what I’ve heard it’s been a good match; the lines aren’t exactly competing with each other and they each keep to their own designs. A lot of motorhome enthusiasts have been happy with the merger for essentially saving Newmar and keeping Winnebago on good footing in an expand-or-die period in the industry. Winnebago’s insistence on keeping parts stocked, and keeping patterns for old parts dovetails with Newmar’s same habits; either brand tends to do a good deal better on the used market after the initial depreciation falloff. When I sold my 25-year old used Winnebago Adventurer, it wasn’t because the coach was falling apart — everything Winnebago I could fix easily. The problem was getting parts for the 25-year-old P30 chassis underneath it and dealing with spotty aftermarket supply. Next motorhome is likely to be a used Newmar with a Spartan or Freightliner chassis underneath and a Cummins in the back. Mechanical and engine parts are usually less of a problem in that class.
I will never understand owning an RV. How much per camp-outing does that cost? How many times will a trailer actually get used?
What is the point of these things and why do people buy them?
Just set your money on fire.
I have a feeling that financing is what makes the RV/camper premise enticing for families/retirees.
A family of 4 goes to an RV dealer. They find a travel trailer that they can pull with the now ubiquitous family crew cab truck. They see “estimated payment: 250$/month w/ 10% down” on a big ol’ brick of a thing. Likely doing their best to ignore that down payment, that couple looks at each other and says “that’s 3k a year for all our vacation lodging”, ignoring that a) all vacationing must be done exclusively in a camper and b) that the loan term is likely 20 years. The couple signs the paperwork and go on their merry way, happily believing that they have locked into a fixed-cost method for paying for vacation.
The reality is, these campers are not going to last anywhere near 20 years without major investment and likely, frustration. But much like cars, once the shitty trailer begins to disintegrate, that family comes back to trade it in on another monster payment, and the cycle continues.
Kinda like a timeshare then.
But a falling apart timeshare.
Exactly like a poorly built timeshare… yes.
The 20-year financing kills me. Imagine still making payments on these pieces of crap in 2044. They are falling apart after a few years, imagine what they look like in 20. Yikes.
For a lot of these, it’s like taking out a 20 year loan on a chair from Wayfair. Except you know, way higher risk.
Ha ha, so true. I figure we used our RV four times and the total loss was about $10K. So $2,500 per excursion. Not a great deal…
My parents started out with a cheap old pop-up in the ’80s. That led to a larger travel trailer, then a slightly smaller one, then a motorhome. Each one was more expensive than the last, especially because the first travel trailer required a new pickup truck. I loved the popup, the second trailer was ok, but it was downhill after that IMO, and with much more money at stake.
It’s a “lifestyle” I just don’t get as an adult, but I did love camping as a kid.
For us, getting an Airstream was a “dumb” purchase that only got made after our finance were in order and we could cover the cost in cash. We chose to finance it because the interest rate was below inflation. Assuming an acceptable hotel room costs $300, it will “pay for itself” after 5 years using it 40-50 nights a year. Based on comparable units being sold, it will retain about 70% of its purchase price.
If you’re using it 40-50 nights a year I’d say you are beating the average use rate by a lot. Also, Airstream seems to be one of the few exceptions to the “RVs are terrible” rule. Well bought!
My Grandpa was the President of his region’s Wally Byam club –
They took their 1968 28′ Airstream up and down and across the country several times – and attended numerous Jambories. Allways towed by his 1967 Ford LTD hardtop sedan, then later, his 1971 Ford LTD Brougham hardtop sedan.
When they were home, they used the trailer as a summertime guest cottage – because the big house they lived in had no AC, but the Airstream did.
Where does an acceptable hotel room cost $300? NYC, Seattle? Aspen? Anyplace with lodging costs that high probably has no room for RVs, so it’s not a direct alternative. The natural habitats of the RV are rural, where lodging is much cheaper.
The only way it makes sense is if you want to on vacation areas where there aren’t any hotels, motels or cabins to stay in and you don’t want to in a tent.
It also makes a lot of sense for the movie industry where you have to film in different locations. Though the stuff the movie industry buys or rents is commercial grade stuff that is a lot more expensive, but probably a lot more durable.
Another way it can make sense is if you need to do a major renovation/rebuild of your home and you have the space to park an RV while that happens.
Star Wagons, a play on Star Wars, is/was the biggest trailer rental company for films. then you have stars like Tom Cruise who own Prevost type rigs that they make the production rent.
They start to make more sense either for longer trips (where having all your stuff with you and your own bedroom etc is really nice vs carting a couple bags from hotel to hotel) or if you’re staying at state parks and such where there aren’t necessarily hotels or they’re not as nearby.
I believe they make sense if you actually use them….and don’t pay for storage.
We had neighbors that bought one to take a week long trip to the beach….once a year and it sat the rest of the time.
We have acreage and store ours under a barn.
We use the RV 30-60 nights almost every year as both my wife and I work from home….or RV. This usage will go up as our kids finish high school.
I believe it makes sense in this case. We can stay literally 10 feet from the lake shore at Corps of Engineers parks for $25 or less a night.
Are they for everyone. No.
Do they sometimes make sense? Yes.
Do many buy them when they make no sense at all? Yes.
But, folks waste money in lots of ways. To each their own.
Whoa, I can’t believe the amount of problems you’ve had with that thing!
We camp out of a 2005 Flagstaff 176ed pop-up, which is perfect for our needs. It’s small enough to tow with pretty much any vehicle, pretty spacious when set up, and still feels like “proper” camping to me.
It’s not the best built thing in the world, but it’s nearly 20 years old and very little seems to go wrong with it.
Wow, my wife and I love camping, but I thought splurging to get a tent site with electricity and water at a KOA was luxury.
I love the thought and planning that goes into a week long road camping/ road trip in our Z4. And because of that I still can’t find the allure to owning an RV. It seems like such a hassle, and the expenses are terrifying. Also, the RVs are so noisy at night, I really hate it when the tent sites are near the RVs, the noise pollution and smell can ruin an outing.
I’ll admit that we need to pack light when roadtripping the Z4, but we still get around 30MPG, I still get to drive my sports car and we still get to see the same sights as those in an RV do. I can fit a tent, bedding, inflatable mattress as well as all our clothes and cooking gear in the trunk and still put the top down.
With that being said, can anyone help me to see how an RV would be better than my car?
As you describe your situation, I think you are doing it the best way for you. There are definitely perks with a camper/RV. The main thing that would make me not want an RV is the desire to still have a smaller vehicle with me for day tripping. So you either have to drive two things or tow that as well. If you do a camper, that then means you need a truck to tow the camper, but now you have your day trip vehicle.
How your parents can give the RV trailer a proper sendoff: The Glacier View Car Launch event in Alaska! Visit Alaska and rid yourselves of the albatross around your neck!
https://g.co/kgs/FyPDm2u
Just like BOAT is an acronym for “Bring Out Another Thousand”, RV is an acronym for “Ruined Vacation”.
“This thing is a piece of crap and I know pieces of crap because I have owned multiple Volkswagens” – Mercedes Streeter, probably
“I once daily-ed a doorless Festival/Escort/other (?) during a Chicago winter and that was more fun than dealing with this RV”
The quality of volume RV brands has been so so for years but the shoddiness reached epic levels during the Covid era. For $62000 sticker you could almost buy Lance trailer which from experience are very well made. Unfortunately Thor has rubbed off on Airstream based on RV Travel reports. Personally I’m looking at fiberglass trailers, because I think they are more durable
“As always, I want to end this with some advice. Never buy a camper”
Fixed it for you.
But seriously, I’ve owned campers for over 10 years now and have had decent luck, but I went vintage to start with a 1966 model that was restored. It’s held up well, as well as holding it’s value, but it’s “roughing it” with no bathroom, tanks, hot water, and AC. Our 2007 Airstream was affordable compared to something new, but has had very few problems in the 4 years we’ve had it. We’ve been on about 20 trips at this point and it’s been far more upgrades than repairs. The only failure has been the voltage converter, and at 17 years old, it was probably due. It’s never been to the shop. I fix everything myself.
You do still have to do your research and inspect everything well, but a solid older trailer is a good way to go and has way less depreciation than a new one. I would never buy a new one.
At this point you’re just like camping in a tent, but with extra expenses (for the RV campsite, and for extra gas)
It was a big step up from a tent. I still had electric, a stove, fridge, a mattress, and a sink. But I’ll take my Airstream over a hotel any day.
Sorry for the shit your parents have been dealing with here.
Not to be that guy, but I would sue the ass off someone by this point.
This is just fucking bullshit…
You could not give me any of the crap they are building these days.
Once we see how they make the sausage, well then it’s time to eat steak.
Fuck this.
Actually the purchase agreements for most rv’s basically leave the buyer totally screwed if there are service issues. Steve Lehto did a great episode on this topic and it’s reason #3542 that I would never buy an rv.
These manufacturers don’t care about quality. Why would they? They sell all they can build when it’s crap like this. I’ve never worked for an RV manufacturer although some former co-workers have (ironically, for Thor). I have worked on renovations on a number of mobile homes and they are often not built much better. I did look into a QA position at a tiny house manufacturer, and the warning bells went off when I read the job description. The QA inspector was responsible for inspecting completed units, correcting any defects, and then was responsible for the final quality of the units. With that kind of attitude to QA, the initial build is never going to be right and never going to get better. This is 100% a management issue. They are just out to maximize their profits and have no integrity when it comes to giving the customer what they deserve or what the manufacturer represents as what they provide. A 2 year warranty expires at 2 years when the unit spent the first year at the dealer? That is insane – the warranty should only run when the unit is in your possession.
There are any good brands out there? Even if expensive? Seems like it is just crap, crap, crap. Is a Class C any safer because the Mercedes or Ford van you start with at least won’t have its roof come apart because it is made of plastic glued together?
I can’t say I’m surprised though. I went to an RV show and was walking through some of these huge trailers with all sort of “stuff” in them just like home + the outdoor entertaining stuff, and they were $50k or so after discounts. My brain told me they had to have cut corners somewhere. Same with some of the Class A gassers I saw. Lots of “toys” and space, surprisingly low-ish price, not surprised if they come apart in a stiff breeze.
Yeah, the independent “boutique” brands like Scamp and Casita, and the super high end stuff like Bowlus, plus motorcycle campers tend to be fine (partially because they’re basically just a raised tent with a bed, partly because they’re little mom and pop operations), and Airstream is better than average, but Thor’s usual… stuff… is starting to creep in there, little by little, after decades of salutary neglect.
And A-Liner (Columbia Northwest Inc) have their problems, but nowhere to the extent that you see with the bigger companies
For a Class A diesel pusher – and without going full custom (Prevost), Newmar seems pretty good.
After much research before making their purchase, my parents lived in their 40′ DutchStar full time for 20 years – and while there were certainly maintenance issues to be resolved in that time – including exterior paint issues and recalcitrant slides, there wasn’t anywhere near the garbage that Mercedes’ family is dealing with. Tho every year was punctuated with visits to the factory to deal with any maintenance – they were treated far better than that couple in the video.
One of the things Dad ensured was not to purchase a coach with a kitchen/refrigerator in a slide – That one simple design choice eliminated so many issues that guy in the video related regarding his Tiffin coach.
Does the industry care about return customers? Or they just assume all customers are one off, so they sell them crap and leave them dry?
There are two types of products. Products designed to be used and products designed to be sold. RVs are the second type. Very few expected return customers in this market.
This reminds me of the acronym “BSO” – Bicycle Shaped Object. Designed to sell cheaply at a big box store, not to be used for riding safely and definitely not able to be repaired when it inevitably breaks. These are Trailer Shaped Objects.
They care a little, but Thor and Forest River have the vast majority of the market between them, so those return customers are just going to be hopping to a different Thor brand without realizing it until it’s too late.
I used to work with a guy who claimed to have worked as a service manager at an RV dealership. I still don’t really trust his claims that he actually worked there, but I don’t know why someone would lie about having worked in the RV industry (unless they’re vehemently denying it), which should say everything you need to know about RV service managers.