Transcription
I've been featuring RV nightmares on my channel for nearly two years. What is going on? Why are so many people having problems with their new RVs?
Welcome to the channel. I'm Liz. I make videos about defective RVs in order to pressure the RV industry to take care of their customers. So far, that has been working, thanks to you for making this channel the force that it is. But why are there so many RV nightmares that I actually have a channel dedicated to them? Based on my email inbox, these problems are not going away soon. Today, we're going to explore how we got here by talking about what's wrong with the RV industry, and I will also be sharing some RV shopping tips so that you can avoid being featured in one of my videos.
Historically, weekenders have been driving the RV market. That means that they're the ones that contribute most of the sales for RVs but are using it less than, say, a full-timer, part-timer, half-timer. So the weekenders' needs are different; they're using it maybe a total of two weeks a year in the summer. They're taking a couple of weekends and maybe a one-week big trip, and that's it. So the RV manufacturers did not have to focus on quality because, of course, their customer is not living in it; they're maybe not taking it all over the place for months at a time. So weekenders, of course, have a budget; they can't justify getting a big one-ton truck. So, therefore, they're going to want something lightweight. Lightweight definitely equals cheap in the RV market, so they are more flimsy, more likely to fall apart because the weekender may not use it that much; it's hard for them to justify paying more for better quality. So that's why there are so many low-quality RVs out there in that price sector.
To make sales, the RV manufacturers offer bells and whistles, the shiny, to attract buyers. So these bells and whistles—if you're a full-timer, if you're a seasoned RVer—you know that these bells and whistles, the more little options you have, the more likely it is for things to go wrong, and that's exactly what is happening with these systems, that are these panels that control everything. There's like a wall panel that will control lights, heat, air conditioning, and the slides, and that can cause a lot of problems because it's all in that one panel. If that panel goes out, well, then guess what? You can't bring your slides in; you can't turn your air conditioner on. And I've talked to several people with those exact problems.
The RV industry is banking that you won't notice or won't care about quality. They're putting on these shiny things to catch your eye so that you'll make the sale, and then they're hoping—actually hoping—that you won't use it that much. A lot of people will buy an RV on a whim; they're buying the dream that, yes, we'll go out with the family on weekends, we'll have some good family time, we'll make some good memories. But the reality for a lot of people is it's like a gym membership; they buy it hoping that they'll do something that they actually don't. Many RVs sit in backyards and don't get used.
I was talking to my neighbor Bob recently, and the people in the campsite next to him walked out, and they were all excited. It was a couple, and they said, "Oh, we're going to go; we're going to go buy an RV today; we're going to get another one." They had a trailer, and they were going to trade it in and get a fifth wheel. They were just—you could tell they were just so excited. And Bob is very well-versed in the RV industry about quality because he is dealing with problems with his own trailer. So he cautioned them; he said, "Well, have you done a lot of research? These new RVs are kind of questionable these days. What research have you done?" And you could tell that they really hadn't. So as we talked, these people that were so happy and so excited about buying an RV, it was like they deflated. And I said to Bob after they left, I go, "I feel so bad." And he said, "No, you've probably saved them from getting an RV nightmare."
And here's the thing, and in fact, somebody wrote this on my channel; they said, "It's the American way not to do research." Certainly for RVs, it seems that way. It's like the couple will turn to each other and say, "Hey, we should get an RV; it would be so fun to go down to the lake; we'll have our kitchen and bed with us; the kids would like it." Or if they're older, they're like, "Oh, this is something fun; we can take the grandkids, or we can travel; we can go to those places." But it does seem to be that a lot of people are resistant to doing research, and they also feel like if they spend more money, then they're getting more quality. I hear that over and over again. If you're a longtime viewer of this channel, you know that I have done some videos about some very expensive RVs; in fact, one was $800,000. I have done a large number of RVs that are over $200,000. So, but spending a lot of money does not mean that you're going to necessarily get quality, and I think that's also the American way is, well, I don't want to spend a lot of time doing research; let me just throw money at it; let me just spend more money, and then I won't have to do research; I'll be getting something good. Well, again, if you watch my channel, you can see how that turns out for a lot of people.
Another factor is that the RV industry is set up around impulse buying. They know you don't want to do the research, so therefore, they set it up so that you will buy on a whim. I have talked to people over and over that have done exactly that. If you go to an RV show, you will see it's set up like a circus; it's a carnival atmosphere. You can get caught up in the excitement, and you can buy something on impulse. In fact, they will have show day specials so that you'll save money if you buy now. Lots of people I interview tell me that their RV nightmare is causing them to lose sleep. That's the same with me; I talk to so many people going through such an ordeal that I lie awake at night, and then I start to worry. If I'm not getting my sleep, then I'm not going to be at the top of my game, so I need to fall asleep now.
So a couple of weeks ago, I started using Dream. Dream is a natural sleep aid; it's like hot chocolate or cocoa; it tastes great, no added sugar, and is only 15 calories. I drink it about 30 minutes before bed. I immediately noticed that I am falling asleep faster; I'm staying asleep longer, and I'm waking up refreshed with no grogginess. In fact, because I'm falling asleep faster, I'm waking up earlier before my alarm. Dream comes with a free frother when you subscribe. Get the sleep you deserve with 35% off of Dream; just go to shopbeam.com/lizamazamazing and use the code AMAZING at checkout. Thank you, Dream, for sponsoring this video.
First-time RV buyers are also what is driving the market. So if you're a first-time buyer, you don't know what you don't know. Plus, if you're not doing any research, well, then you're very vulnerable. You'll be told things by the RV dealer meant to reassure you, which in reality are not helpful. So one of the things you may say as a first-time buyer is, "Well, I don't know; should I get an inspection?" The RV dealer will say, "No, we do a 200-plus-point inspection with every RV that we sell, so we'll check everything, so you don't need to spend that money for an outside independent inspection." Well, I can tell you that those PDI inspections that the dealers do really don't get done for most cases, and they have a, you know, an agenda to sell you an RV, so they're not on your side; they're not there to protect you. An independent RV inspection, of course, will protect you, and it will be leveraged so that you can say, "Look, this is broken; I need it fixed." It puts you in the driver's seat versus having the RV dealer in the driver's seat.
The other thing is they'll say, "Well, we'll give you a limited lifetime warranty, so you don't have to worry if anything goes wrong; we'll take care of it." Those usually involve a yearly inspection of like $500, and they'll go through everything, but that ends up being just a profit center for the RV dealers. Most people I talk to have not had a good experience with their extended warranty; in fact, they tell me it's been a waste of money. Now, if you have had a good experience, let me know in the comments; include the name of the warranty. I think that information would be very helpful to your fellow RVers.
There has been a shift over the past several years where the RV makers are being bought out by big conglomerates to make profit, and so what they do is they go through and they cut, cut, cut. They've decided that, well, instead of using nails, let's use glue; let's use staples, and that has really cheapened it, too. They're trying to cheapen the RVs. If you go into a 10-year-old RV, I'm pretty much can guarantee you, you will see solid wood in the cabinetry. If you go into a brand-new one, they're just about one step higher than painted cardboard. So that has happened, and that's really changed things because now the emphasis is not on the customer; it's on profit. A lot of these companies are publicly traded, so it's really about serving the stockholders, not serving the customer.
Something else that happened that hugely affected the RV industry was COVID. As you remember, there was a huge problem with the supply chain; the RV industry had a hard time finding parts; there was also an employee shortage; it was hard to get these RVs built. There was a dramatic decrease in quality during that time, and I think we're still seeing the effects of that.
Another thing that is wrong with the RV industry—and by wrong, I mean, you know, what is driving this just huge amount of problematic RVs out there—is the one-year warranty. Now, how motivated do you think an RV manufacturer is to build quality if they just have a one-year—if they're only going to stand behind their product for one year—then you know that really says a lot, and that should be a red flag to you, and it should be a signal to walk away from anything that they can only stand behind it for one year. Now, no matter how long that warranty is, you've got to take it back to the dealer to get fixed, most likely, and that can be a problem, too. The service department—in fact, before you buy an RV, it's a good idea to call the service department or even pay them a visit—find out how backed up they are and if they're short-handed. Most likely it's both cases. If you have warranty work that needs to be done, you can lose time just waiting for the approval. This can take weeks or even over a month just to get approval from the manufacturer, and then because the RV service department is so backed up, do not be surprised that if at the beginning of camping season you have a problem and they tell you they will not be able to get it fixed until the end of the season. I have actually had people on this channel that have had their RV in the shop for over a year; more typically it's three, four, five months, and even that is just a huge amount of time to lose your RV.
You can avoid long waits at the dealership service department by skipping them entirely and getting a mobile RV tech. Some of them will do warranty work, so that's awesome. Think again about buying any mass-produced RVs. These companies are very difficult to deal with for reasons I mentioned earlier about how they're just more focused on profit and less on customers. I think you'll do better if you focus on small, independent RV makers; they're much more responsive, and they're much more caring about their customers.
No matter what you buy, you want to do your homework; take your time; do the research; join the owners' forums on Facebook; they offer a wealth of information. You'll find out from owners what to look out for, what to avoid; they'll give you some advice. So I highly recommend that. Get an independent inspection before signing the paperwork. In fact, do not sign that paperwork until everything is fixed. They'll say, "Oh, well, you know, we'll go ahead and do the paperwork while they're working on it; they're fixing it right now." No, you want to be prepared to walk away if they can't fix it, and I think that's what's going to serve you most is that at any time in the buying process, be prepared to walk away if it doesn't feel right. Many people I interview on this channel tell me, "I had a gut feeling, you know, it just didn't seem good," but they continued through the process.
After you buy it, you want to spend that first night in the dealership or just down the road while you're there. You want to test all the systems; you want to make sure everything works; use the shower over and over again; run the water; open all the windows; just check everything. And I also recommend you take it on a test drive. You want to go on bumpy roads, and you want to go at highway speeds. Then you'll be able to find out if something's going to shake loose or if there's any noises. If it's a drivable or any problems such as wind noise, which is an issue with with drivables, either at the door or the windshield. So it's imperative that you take a test drive on a drivable but also on a towable because that's when if something's about to fall apart, it will fall apart, and you're at the dealership, and you have more clout since you're right there; you can say, "Hey, fix it." Now, when you buy it, go ahead and make an appointment at the service department for one month in the future. There's always going to be something; it's very, very unlikely that you'll have nothing for them to look at, but if you do, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with your RV, you can always cancel that appointment, but at least you'll be on their calendar, and you won't have to wait as long.
Camp locally the first time you use it, or even the first few times; you want to be close to the dealer. They can often come out and help you if there's any issues, and you don't want to be driving across the country or camping, you know, way out, let's say somewhere remote like Yellowstone and having problems. So you want to get all the bugs out by camping locally, and you don't want to have that big trip driving your agenda; it's not going to be fun if you're in the middle of nowhere with major RV issues; it's going to take away from your enjoyment of RV life. Should you have any problems, small or large, take a photo or video of it; that way you have it for your documentation; that's something you can show service, and should the problems escalate, you have that on file. Learn the skills to diagnose and fix minor RV repairs; this will serve you well; it will help you get back out on the road sooner.
What tips did I miss? Let me know in the comments, and if you enjoyed this video, please like, subscribe, and share. This will help educate your fellow RVers that are shopping, particularly first-time RVers. Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next.