Frustrations of a Top End RV

[Walker]

So we have been finally moving south today. While clicking off the miles down I-35 we started listing all the items that have failed on our RV.
We bought this DRV Memphis model July 2017 off from Lazy Days Tampa. Is the below list of issues normal for a $100k+ unit?

-Rotten Slide Floor
-Leaking Kantleak
-Rotten Slide Roof
-90-day factory caulking
-Insulation falling in front and rear caps
-Floor tiles buckling in front of slide rollers in kitchen- fixed twice now
-Only 3 rollers under kitchen slide
-Living room slide leaked- water dripping out of lights
-Air leaks lack of wiper seal under bed slide
-Leaking front jacks
-Leaking Hydraulic pump
-The ceiling fan that is decoration only- doesn't move air
-Coax cabling mislabeled broken in the walls somewhere
-Brake Caliper bolts with no Locktite
-Brake Caliper slide pins dry causing brake pads to hang and wear.
-Axle hub seal caps overtighten and cracked
-Holes in all the airconditioning ducts above the vents
-Light recesses drilled into AC vents
-Shower door tracks hold water
-Most of the drawer self-close mechanisms have been replaced
-Xantrex inverter that you have to unplug to reset
-Pull cable valves that are/were to stiff to operate.
-Water tank shelf/brackets under supported
-Furnace ductwork crushed and torn
-No floor heat to front bedroom vent
-Bubbles in the roof membrane
-LED disco lights
-None of the slides were adjusted to be flush/tight at the inside when open, or be flush on the exterior when closed.
-Surge Guard transfer switch had to be replaced- twice
-Midship exterior lights only work as running lights, not turn signals. DOT violation
-2 of the exterior hatch doors are not square in the holes. They scrub when opening and closing.

Some of these are product quality issues, other are installation issues, still, others are lack of QC.
We take full responsibility for driving off the dealer lot without living in and testing-using the RV more thoroughly. We had work-related circumstances that caused us to leave Lazy Days Tampa after staying in their delivery lot for 4 days.
Many of the items were repaired during the warranty period. But over time many more issues have surfaced.
Is this the "Quality" you expect of the DRV brand?
This isn't to be taken as a rant, or such. I'm asking as a serious owner that wonders, need to ask if other owners are under the same opinion?
Thanks for reading.

[jpjulian]

Walker, I won't list the number of issues we have encountered but several of your issues have been ours as well as well as others not on your list. As I have stated in another post is I believe DRV's QC may have tanked since being taken over by Thor. I've made most of the repairs encountered so far myself as it has been quicker and cheaper to do the work myself than to return to our dealer. We will pay the labor to have our Kantleak replaced. We're in FL for the winter and can't wait to get back to Indiana for warranty work. I feel your pain and hope things ultimately work out for you. For those saying they have had similar problems but just LOVE their units, it's time to take off the rose colored glasses. It is clear our assembly problems are systemic.

Joe

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Walker

So we have been finally moving south today. While clicking off the miles down I-35 we started listing all the items that have failed on our RV.
We bought this DRV Memphis model July 2017 off from Lazy Days Tampa. Is the below list of issues normal for a $100k+ unit?

-Rotten Slide Floor, cracked caulk
-Leaking Kantleak, 50/50 problem, vendor issue
-Rotten Slide Roof, first time I have heard about this
-90-day factory caulking, it is what it is I guess
-Insulation falling in front and rear caps, common issue installation/design problem, fixes posted
-Floor tiles buckling in front of slide rollers in kitchen- fixed twice now, I have heard of this a couple of times, I would think installation issue or wrong style of tiles being used
-Only 3 rollers under kitchen slide, not sure how many are on mine
-Living room slide leaked- water dripping out of lights, installation issue, guessing that is the roof that rotted out
-Air leaks lack of wiper seal under bed slide, new one, but there is a easy fix that has been posted
-Leaking front jacks, vendor issue
-Leaking Hydraulic pump, installation and quality of parts used
-The ceiling fan that is decoration only- doesn't move air, EVERY unit, but a fix is posted. When it is an inch off the ceiling and the blades have NO pitch is the issue. Bad design.
-Coax cabling mislabeled broken in the walls somewhere, installation issue
-Brake Caliper bolts with no Locktite, vendor issue, Moryde
-Brake Caliper slide pins dry causing brake pads to hang and wear., vendor issue, Moryde
-Axle hub seal caps overtighten and cracked, vendor issue, Moryde fix posted
-Holes in all the airconditioning ducts above the vents, installation issue
-Light recesses drilled into AC vents, installation issue
-Shower door tracks hold water, vendor design, fix posted
-Most of the drawer self-close mechanisms have been replaced, sh@t happens, replace when needed. I have had to replace 1 of mine.
-Xantrex inverter that you have to unplug to reset, installation or defective part maybe
-Pull cable valves that are/were to stiff to operate., poor engineering on using the correct products, fixes posted.
-Water tank shelf/brackets under supported, I just heard of a couple of issues with this. Poor engineering, installation issue
-Furnace ductwork crushed and torn, bad engineering and installation.
-No floor heat to front bedroom vent, result from your above complaint
-Bubbles in the roof membrane, installation problem
-LED disco lights, vendor issue, common
-None of the slides were adjusted to be flush/tight at the inside when open, or be flush on the exterior when closed. Installation issue
-Surge Guard transfer switch had to be replaced- twice, vendor issue
-Midship exterior lights only work as running lights, not turn signals. DOT violation, new one on me, I would think that the rears only had to signal.
-2 of the exterior hatch doors are not square in the holes. They scrub when opening and closing. Installation issue, I had 2 myself

Some of these are product quality issues, other are installation issues, still, others are lack of QC.
We take full responsibility for driving off the dealer lot without living in and testing-using the RV more thoroughly. We had work-related circumstances that caused us to leave Lazy Days Tampa after staying in their delivery lot for 4 days.
Many of the items were repaired during the warranty period. But over time many more issues have surfaced.
Is this the "Quality" you expect of the DRV brand?
This isn't to be taken as a rant, or such. I'm asking as a serious owner that wonders, need to ask if other owners are under the same opinion?
Thanks for reading.

Sorry that you have had some major issues. I luckily did not have some of the major issues that you are having. We had to deal with several issues that just started and they had to change things on there end. R&D is needed but no one wants to pay for it. I was livid like you when we first got our rig. Create a list and set up an appointment to visit DRV to have them addressed.
A lot of these are common issues.
Not all of them are DRVs mess ups. There have been posts on how to deal with many of them.
A lot of issues can be catched by a PROPER PDI inspection from the dealer. There are 2 dealers that are well known as exceptional dealers for DRV. I would only buy now from Rolling Retreats.
But I agree with you that there quality control needs a major fix. There are problems that leave the factory that should have been caught and fixed.
But I still believe that these units are better then what is on the market. Go to Big Horn, Montana site and see.
Some issues are not the manufactures, vendors and installation issues. There are items that need to be maintained properly to have the product last. I am very mechanicals inclined and now what needs to be looked over and fixed when needed. But there are some that have no clue to how things work. Like why people buy SRW trucks to pull these units,weight police, LOL. Some are overloaded causing failures. There are so many reasons as to why a certain thing can fail. I understand your frustration and have been there. Take a breathe as DRV will try to make you whole. Comments to each line in bold.
Travel safe.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by jpjulian

Walker, I won't list the number of issues we have encountered but several of your issues have been ours as well as well as others not on your list. As I have stated in another post is I believe DRV's QC may have tanked since being taken over by Thor. I've made most of the repairs encountered so far myself as it has been quicker and cheaper to do the work myself than to return to our dealer. We will pay the labor to have our Kantleak replaced. We're in FL for the winter and can't wait to get back to Indiana for warranty work. I feel your pain and hope things ultimately work out for you. For those saying they have had similar problems but just LOVE their units, it's time to take off the rose colored glasses. It is clear our assembly problems are systemic.

Joe

Joe, well said. There is clearly assembly issues happening. From what I understand the work force is paid piece mill not hourly. So they move as fast as they can. I had suggested years ago that the warranty techs once a month need to sit down with the line engineers/formans and go over items that they are seeing that have to be fixed frequently. They thought it was a good idea and said that it would never happen. Any manufacture that really took there time building units is out of business. As they could only make so many units and no one wanted to pay the $$$$$$ for them. Not saying that we do not pay a lot of $$$$$$ for our units. I love my DRV and it has been my home for 3 1/2 years now. I still am adding things to it and improving some items.
Rose colored glasses.

[The Gritz Carlton]

I was fortunate to have a private tour (family member is head of interiors for GM) of the Cadillac assembly plant in Lansing, MI prior to buying my wife's first Cadillac in 2006. I was amazed at the QC throughout the entire operation and how synchronized the automation and human element was. It was whisper quiet throughout the entire assembly line as music played everywhere. Computers would stop the line if a single screw wasn't installed just the right amount of rotations or the torque of the fasteners wasn't just right. It would flag the car and send it to another location after full assembly for corrections followed by and a three stage QC audit prior to leaving the plant. She is on her 3rd Cadillac since then with zero issues with any of them. Until RV manufacturers reach this point in automation and QC, these problems will continue. A lot has to do with pay, benefits, pride and a reason to do it right. My opinion...price isn't a factor on high end products...charge whatever you want, but get it right the first time. One of the motivational banners in that plant said..."Never Enough Time To Do It Right, But Always Enough Time To Do It Over". Without rewards for doing things right, or punishment for doing things wrong...nothing will ever change and no one will care.

[f350ms38rssa]

And if you would have bought a lower end model you would have more problems!

[Cummins12V98]

"From what I understand the work force is paid piece mill not hourly. So they move as fast as they can."

Fred the Tech that worked on our rig at DRV said him and all the other production workers are all paid hourly NOT piece work.

[Bob Denman]

Walker,
I'm sorry to hear that you've had to endure this...
I guess that when you buy an RV: you've actually bought a puzzle
It's up to you to get all of the pieces in the right places!
Hang in there, and the best of luck to you!

[The Gritz Carlton]

It's tough though when there's no picture or colors on the puzzle pieces and you just have to go by shape alone and the box only has a picture of a square piece of blank cardboard.

[Bob Denman]

That IS about what it feels like at times...

[Terry and Jo]

With regards to the ceiling fan not moving air, I may have a solution. Since the fan is so close to the ceiling, it can't get any air to move. Try reversing the fan so that it is drawing air from below the fan and blowing upwards and outwards.


On our 2010 Mobile Suites, the original ceiling fan began to make noise, so the wife and I got to looking and found a Hunter 5-blade, 42" ceiling fan to replace it with. After installing the Hunter, we noticed a definite improvement in air flow with the fan reversed. (We had learned that from the first fan.) Now, whether that improvement came from the extra blade or with perhaps the fan blade's angle of pitch, I can't say. I just know that when sitting in our recliners in the L/R slide, we feel a breeze.


As an additional benefit, the Hunter came with a light kit. While we didn't NEED the light, there was no cover plate had we not installed it. However, the light kit is fine, but we do have to remember to remove the globes and bulbs before a move.

Terry

[Bob Denman]

Could you put a spacer between the fan and the ceiling, and move it about an inch or so lower?

Would that help at all?

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Terry and Jo

With regards to the ceiling fan not moving air, I may have a solution. Since the fan is so close to the ceiling, it can't get any air to move. Try reversing the fan so that it is drawing air from below the fan and blowing upwards and outwards.


On our 2010 Mobile Suites, the original ceiling fan began to make noise, so the wife and I got to looking and found a Hunter 5-blade, 42" ceiling fan to replace it with. After installing the Hunter, we noticed a definite improvement in air flow with the fan reversed. (We had learned that from the first fan.) Now, whether that improvement came from the extra blade or with perhaps the fan blade's angle of pitch, I can't say. I just know that when sitting in our recliners in the L/R slide, we feel a breeze.


As an additional benefit, the Hunter came with a light kit. While we didn't NEED the light, there was no cover plate had we not installed it. However, the light kit is fine, but we do have to remember to remove the globes and bulbs before a move.

Terry

Does not help reversing the fan. The suction is better but it has little room to push the air.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Could you put a spacer between the fan and the ceiling, and move it about an inch or so lower?

Would that help at all?

I saw one guy that did that. He placed another junction box between the fan and the factory junction box. But then there was a gap between the plastic cowl and the fan. Spacing is is only part of it. The pitch of the blades is also flat on the OE fan.

[Bob Denman]

So you really need more "bite". Got it!

[Walker]

Rynosback-
We had Kansas RV Center do our Warranty work after 9 months of ownership. They fixed many of the items I listed above. I repaired the rest myself. Supposedly they had fixed the issue of water dripping out of our dinette slide roof lights, but that roof now has a huge soft spot.
The issue I have, is we pay top dollar or it would seem, for a rig that we know spends a longer time frame on the assembly line. We equate that to "They're spending more time assembling it, taking time to make sure everything is fitted correctly". But in reality, we are deceiving ourselves. The extra time spent is because of a smaller workforce than the others.
The floor tiles that keep moving are in front of the rollers. The rollers are mounted to the outside of the floor. But the weight of the slide moving across them, 2 of the rollers, pushes the roller and squeezes the tile enough to make it buckle. They are right along the edge of the base cabinets of the kitchen slide. Now that we have 2 more rollers added to help carry the weight, hopefully, that issue is resolved.
Ceiling fan... Yes, I lowered it to make it move air, but why should I have too?
All the jack and hose issues that people have. Why do they stay with Lippert? Why don't they say... Lippert your out, Big Foot you're in, don't screw it up. Same with the disco lights... Why should we have to replace 30+ lights because their vendor graciously sends us replacements? Why not just source better lights?
We just left a dealer and were talking to another DRV owner that had a slide floor replaced. They owned the rig for 5 months....
The last 2 houses we owned were old. We knew that there was work to be done, plumbing to redo, etc. But if I bought a new house, I would expect it to be perfect from the get-go. Why should I expect any different from an RV that cost more than my first house?

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by f350ms38rssa

And if you would have bought a lower end model you would have more problems!

Not necessarily true.
We bought a new Cruiser in 08. I have been wanting to upgrade to something bigger and of course it will cost more. With all the problems they are having with QC now days, I just can't make myself pull the trigger.
Our old Cruiser has been pretty trouble free.

Now I suppose I just jinxed myself.

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by Walker

..
The last 2 houses we owned were old. We knew that there was work to be done, plumbing to redo, etc. But if I bought a new house, I would expect it to be perfect from the get-go. Why should I expect any different from an RV that cost more than my first house?

Well said Walker!

[Porthole]

Originally Posted by Walker

Is the below list of issues normal for a $100k+ unit?

Sounds about right. Our 2019 (built arch 2018) has most of those issues and ore.

My current list supplied to DRV for scheduling has 120+ items on it.
Most are minor but all are an issue.

[rynosback]

Originally Posted by Walker

Rynosback-
We had Kansas RV Center do our Warranty work after 9 months of ownership. They fixed many of the items I listed above. I repaired the rest myself. Supposedly they had fixed the issue of water dripping out of our dinette slide roof lights, but that roof now has a huge soft spot.
The issue I have, is we pay top dollar or it would seem, for a rig that we know spends a longer time frame on the assembly line. We equate that to "They're spending more time assembling it, taking time to make sure everything is fitted correctly". But in reality, we are deceiving ourselves. The extra time spent is because of a smaller workforce than the others.
The floor tiles that keep moving are in front of the rollers. The rollers are mounted to the outside of the floor. But the weight of the slide moving across them, 2 of the rollers, pushes the roller and squeezes the tile enough to make it buckle. They are right along the edge of the base cabinets of the kitchen slide. Now that we have 2 more rollers added to help carry the weight, hopefully, that issue is resolved.
Ceiling fan... Yes, I lowered it to make it move air, but why should I have too?
All the jack and hose issues that people have. Why do they stay with Lippert? Why don't they say... Lippert your out, Big Foot you're in, don't screw it up. Same with the disco lights... Why should we have to replace 30+ lights because their vendor graciously sends us replacements? Why not just source better lights?
We just left a dealer and were talking to another DRV owner that had a slide floor replaced. They owned the rig for 5 months....
The last 2 houses we owned were old. We knew that there was work to be done, plumbing to redo, etc. But if I bought a new house, I would expect it to be perfect from the get-go. Why should I expect any different from an RV that cost more than my first house?

I agree with you completely. I am not trying to make any excuses for any of the work engineered, constructed and the vendors that they use.