I swear, if I hear the word "Craftsmanship"...

[Mark N.]

If I hear this word "Craftsmanship" associated with the RV industry one more time, I'm gonna blow my coffee up through my nose!
I noticed the plywood base the mattress lies on was crooked, so I decided to pull the mattress of and see what's up. At the top, the hinges on it attach to a header board. That header board is attached to the side frames of the bed box. At the factory, the side frame is scribed with pencil marks where the header board (a 2x4) should be aligned. The "craftsman" that stapled it all together got one side lined up nicely. The other side? He missed the scribe marks by a FULL 3/4"!! Not even close! How do they manage to line up one side correctly and miss the other side by almost an inch??
I took it all apart and lined it up and reattached it all correctly. Thanks Keystone....That's an hour of my life I can never get back.

[1retired06]

Welcome to the RV world. Pay minimum wage and push the production line.

[waynemoore]

Mark, come on those guide lines are only a suggestion. At least they got the 2X4 in the bedroom

[CORattler]

Thanks for the chuckle

quote:Originally posted by waynemoore

Mark, come on those guide lines are only a suggestion. At least they got the 2X4 in the bedroom

[mlh]

I thought the quality of my HC was ok until I bought a Motor Home. It is an 07 drove 5000 miles and stored since 09. This HC is pure junk compared to the MH. For example the toilet paper holder wall is braced with 3/4 inch plywood and where the holder is there is extra 1/2 inch bracing. In my HC the toilet paper holder is screwed to 1/4 inch plywood. The bed frame has a felt top on it along with all the shelves. This is the way every thing in the 2 campers are.
Lynwood

[DQDick]

I would say the one side was done by a "Craftsman and the other a trainee" the line moves too fast to check the trainee's work As to the Motor Home vs Montana. Our friend who parks her Class A on our home base lot and travels with us sometime relies on me to fix stuff. Both rigs are the same age, granted not new, and our Monty is constructed far better than her Monaco. I wish I got paid for all the work arounds I've had to do in her rig.

[bigskyjimmy]

That's why it pays to be a good handyman when you own these things and Hey I am retired and sometimes I need stuff to do and as far as a Class A being better built....AHHHH Nope Gotta disagree on that one %80 of the mobile techs that I see coming in to all the Resorts I go too are working on class A's and they are not cheap or easy to fix,5er's are not that hard to work on

[mjammersc]

My current pet peeve is how they feel a small brad nailer is the acceptable means to mount any and all things in the trailer. If it is not a brad nail, they use a high speed screw gun to screw into thin plywood and they are on the edge of or are stripped out. That reminds me, I need to buy some more liquid nails and reload up my nail and screw supply for my upcoming trip to repair a couple more pieces of trim.

[bigskyjimmy]

You're learn'in] I have a big supply of nuts,screws bolts,nails liquid nails and a bunch of tools baby! and if I do not have it my Buddy with his SOB does and that is why I have never been back for warranty work on my last 2 Monty's just stupid little stuff I can fix myself AND make it better

[mtheo]

I have a friend with a $280,000 MH that is about the same age as my Monty with a quarter of the miles. Mine has has a few problems but nothing like him and his MH. He has spent well over $30,000 in the last two years making repairs, from new battery box to new exhaust to rear end problem to water tank problems. I'll take the Monty any day.

[mlh]

I wasn't talking about the Ford part of the motor home. I'm talking about the part Fleetwood did. The holding tanks are a much better grade of plastic than is on my camper. The interior doors are solid with a 6 foot piano hinge. The screen door is an inch thick. All interior walls are braced with a skeleton of 3/4 plywood. Every place I look I wish my High Country was made this good. I guess when it's all said it doesn't really matter I could use my HC for years without it falling apart.
Lynwood

[vipermanden]

You guys are making me nervous. My new 3820FK will be here in a couple of weeks, and I am still amazed that they can put this beast together for as cheap as I was able to buy it? I mean I think about my Viper and how I probably have over 140k in it, but if I tried to sell it, I would be lucky to get 50k, and it is just a car? I see people driving in Tesla's all around me, that paid more for their car, than I will for my brand new Monty. I can't believe they can build this mobile house, and get a full body paint job, and still be able to buy it for 90k. I wonder if it should be more like 150k and have the craftsmanship that Mark says is lacking, or would that number scare people away? Remember we all vote with our pocketbooks, and if we demand a product for less than 100k, then they have to deliver it at that price to stay in business.