Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieGeek
.....cut....
The funny thing was: Having been on a few RV forums now for quite some time I find myself looking for the issues in the coaches instead of the features. "Ugh full-wall slide on this one, nope, sink and refer in the slide let me look at the plumbing, hmm none of these fridges have the reinforced hinge, etc." This behavior was obviously different from most show goers that I could see (at least the people that happened to be in the same unit as I): They would be looking at features and creature comforts...
Not sure if you notice that kind of thing at the bigger shows.
.....cut.....
|
Absolutely. The more you know the more you critique, and the more frustrating the search can become.
Most buyers are very trusting that what they will be buying was designed and manufactured by experts in their field, and appear to have little concern on whether the motorhome will perform or hold up well over time. You are right that creature comforts are more important than whether they will get stuck at a campground for days because a slide won't work right. Or that a motorhome is so top heavy and tall that it won't handle acceptably. I guess most people just take the risk thinking it won't happen to them, or that if it does, it will be so far into future that they will deal with it later.
Do you think many buyers check the underside of motorhomes to see how well they are built? I'd bet very few.
At the Tampa Supershow we really liked the Roadtrek Zion -- my wife wanted to buy it from the start. But it didn't feel right to me, and not being impulsive I decided to think about it overnight. They were reasons we had a list of "must-haves".
It only slept two -- no kids along for ride.
No forward-facing seats for car seats.
No large storage for normal things like chairs and small grill.
No conventional generator.
While it had lithium batteries (400 Amp-hours) that could run A/C for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, the engine-driven alternator would have to run too often and too long to keep A/C running during day while tailgating. It just wouldn't work as a package at the level I would want or expect. I figured a Honda 2000 could run the A/C for tailgating, but there is no place to store it other than on a hitch carrier (plus portable generators aren't technically allowed).
Everything about the Zion said "buy me", but based on years of experience I just knew that for our current needs that we would soon regret it if we did.
Thor Forums
