Great Video!

Overpriced with horrible quality and the RV manufactures wonder why sales are down? LOL

Climate change. Too bad I may have to go fulltime

Thanks John! Have you seen any issue with 193 model? I have one and RV refrigerator only works on gas and not working with electricity.

Thanks great info

Does anyone know of a source for an aluminum track that would work for this modification? I would love to do this to my rPod. Mine has an awning, but this would work MUCH better at keeping the rain away. Thank you.....

👍👍

Make the warranties 3 years and the manufacturer covers everything from hitch to bumper like automobile manufacturers!

super helpful John thank you. do you have any tips for selecting the right converter replacement on an rpod -G thats battery has been upgraded to a lipo4? most of the ones Im seeing on Amazon are 55 amp output, does require any other mods to fit the existing (i.e. breaker)? appreciate all your content, keep up the great work and come back to the rpod family soon!

Thanks! This is the second time watching this and I more information out of it.

The REAL ANSWER is to build MORE RVs faster and sheaper ... make them like disposable diapers ... then its a win win .. you get to use your RV for a few trips, the guys who build them have easy jobs, the big companies and banks make money ....AMD THE HOMELESS in Claifornia will have plenty of roadside junk units to call home

Great video!

What an excellent explanation of these shades , thanks for putting this up!

Going to do this tomorrow, thanks for the step by step instructions!

RV or "rotting value".

You should include the rise in prices at the Camp sites. Julio

Thnx

Way does my have EI on it 805 pm jul 6 24

Thank you so much. Your instructions are wonderful 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I have a 2019 Rpod 180 Hood River Edition and after five years there appears to be quite a bit of negative wheel camber. I have hauled it on some very rough rocky roads, but have taken care to be barely moving, i.e. 5 MPH or even less. Has anyone else noticed this negative wheel camber and have you attempted to fix it? I'm wondering how much is too much and when to get it fixed. The tires don't seem to be wearing excessively.

Did I hear you right? Going from 9 links to 8 links put more pressure on the bars? MY RV dealer initially setup my rig to 9 spare links. They kept blowing the fuse when raising the truck and the ride felt way too stiff, transmitting bumps from the trailer back up to the truck, very uncomfortable. I then tried 8 links and it was easier on bumpy roads and although I did blow the fuse again it was because of the uneven dip I was working in when unhooking at the campsite. Next trip I tried 7 unused links and this was too soft, lots of bouncing through bumps so I'm going back to 8 unused links. Hope to hear from you on my experience. I'm towing a 27 FT 6300# Airstream with a 1 Ton Ram 4x4 with airbags. I like the zip tie trick to remember my links, thank you. Leo in Whitefish, Montana

You said few times turn hit water on but I'm assuming you don't mean start water heater. Questioned it a few times, even did turn on the hot water heater because you said turn it on. A little more attention to details? Otherwise good video. Thanks

Way overpriced, we have been looking at lots of class c motorhomes, the quality, fit, and finishes are unbelievably awful.😢

I have got a US RV here in Norway. Have been said tha this is a highend brand and quality. It looks nice ouside and inside, but material as platic covered MDF used in Kitchen and bath is really wrong. No finer with real wood or laminate Cabinets, and some ultraleather of poor quality. This will peal of with something like sticky tape. They have used stapler on drawers. One fall together. Has rebuit almost all with real wood. Has to replace some shelves in bath, because of the MDF used here. Im an electrician and know about real craftsmen.

We want a diesel Class C to replace our 25' 2021 trailer. That covid production unit has had a $4k, 17 item mod/repair list done. But, now I'm hard-pressed to go from serviceable unit to one that may fall apart around me. Maybe I'll shop again this winter after I take a financial beating when selling the camper and truck in the fall.

Hi John how is your Toyota 1/2 ton pulling your Rv? Thanks!

Such an important point to say do it again if you need too.

Let me tell you this is so useful as a fifth wheel owner in the UK that has stupidly small sites that everyone has to back into between two white posts for fire regulations and each pitch is straight off a narrow road. British campsites are stupid for USA fifth wheels. See photos on my channel we had hedges and a high curb opposite our pitch it was ridiculous. Thank you 🙏🏼

With our 2012 Honda Pilot we tow a 3,000 pound (empty weight) 2007 21 foot travel trailer with a dual axle, no slides, full real queen-size bed, dry bath with vanity, deep, dual sink, and sufficient head room for me at 6’1” to stand upright. We have replaced many parts and left other accessories (audio and video) non-functional, and keep rolling. (We have about 360 nights in the seven years we have owned it.) Had I been able to find a unit with all those aforementioned features and a reasonable price, I would have probably bought it. Now as we approach our late 70’s we will likely just keep making repairs as long as there is nothing catastrophically wrong. If anyone knows of a successor trailer worthy of the price, I am open to suggestions.

My experience is ALL RVs have problems and I believe it is because they just make them so quick and the workers do not have any pride in their work. And maybe the factories where they're built won't let the workers have any pride in their work maybe they are just rushed into building them as quick as they can.

Thor did not own AS in 2003

RV’s still way overpriced for poor quality products. Pay attention consumers some law firms are breaking the vails of RV manufacturers… class action suits coming. That says enough about the industry.

As a brand new camper owner, I think I'm lucky to have camped in the bed of my pickup truck for several years. I know how much gear i need and have plus i always scope out campsites in advance. Reservable spots take away alot of the pressure. If its FCFS, I go early. (Being retired helps😄)

I feel pricing is a HUGE factor. Let's take Newmar. When Newmar was a privately held company, you got a fairly high-end quality product for a decent price. I have owned 2 Country Coaches and 3 Monaco products over the past 20 years, and before their demise, Newmar was like the 'Audi' of the luxury RV industry. They were good, but people preferred Monaco or Country Coach. When they failed, Newmar stepped in and became the mass-production luxury unit manufacturer for the entire industry with Entegra a step or two behind. With that said, in 2020, a 4018 Dutch Star had an MSRP of 450k. That same model for 2025, has an MSRP of nearly 700k. That is 250k more for a unit that looks the same, has a few tech upgrades over 2020, and is not considered a luxury unit in the Newmar Lineup. In 2020, the King Aire was 995k, now is 1.7-1.8m. Major upgrades since 2020, but not double the price for a mass-production unit. Same with Fleetwood. A Discovery LXE was under 450k MSRP, now is 650k MSRP - looks the same, same engine, same everything, just more money. GREED is driving the market and people SHOULD be fed up with it. Hopefully, that is what is driving down sales. These are depreciating assets. That 1.7m King Aire loses 55% of its value in 2 years. There are several 2022 King Aires on the market for 800-900k, and that is the retail price, so you know it will go for less. RIDICULOUS PRICING needs to change.

High prices and mediocre products, no thanks

There are many reasons in my opinion. #1: Overpriced low quality offerings with terrible construction soundness. I have a top brand 2024 unit and my slide is being rebuilt as I write this. #2: Overpriced and congested parks. Almost impossible to schedule highly desirable locations. At this point I personally just focus on easy to schedule KOA parks and expect a mediocre experience overall. RV'ing just isn't what it was. In terms of the market: I also think Airstream, while being amazing units are open to being undercut by someone who wants to build something better than all the trash offerings on the low end and the nose bleed pricing of Airstream. Something around 75K competing with a 27ft Flying Cloud @130K for example.

Just got off the phone with Dometic trying to diagnose an issue as the bowl won’t hold water after replacing the seal. They acknowledged a manufacturing issue but won’t do anything about it. The two parts with the issue cannot be replaced and said the entire toilet would need to be replaced, at my expense. Basically, it’s a throw away POS! I’m shocked by their arrogance!

RV industry quality is a nightmare. I saw a late model 5th wheel heading back to town and began wondering how long the owner's things to do list was. No thanks!

Good advice 👍 thank you, Sr.

Another fine presentation John. Many thanks.

We have been saving for six years and planning on retirement to buy a trailer for vacations, not full time life. I have been seeing all the info on socials about poor quality. I have been in and out of dealerships for the past several years and have found that salespeople don't know anything about the products except colors. I have a big trip planned for summer 2025. Maybe we'll rent rather than buy. THANKS FOR YOUR CHANNEL.

Its the trash factor, RV industry is putting out overpriced trash, with no accountability. It's not a perception, Its fact. There are far too many stories of subpar units and these manufacturers not standing by their products, Not to mention, the greed across the board has gotten out of hand and people are getting over it and choosing more wisely how they spend their money and who they are going to spend it with, I would rather pay for quality as long as it's far with a company that will stand behind their unit, and it seems that it is few and far between these days, Manufacturers better start realizing we can live without them, they cannot survive without the consumer.

I think the first step is putting in place the ability for a dealership to reject a unit because it isn't ready for sale. If it is crap out of the door from the factory, the factory need to get it back. That QA stamp has got to have some meaning.

Looks like the RV industry has a choice to make either go out of business or make a better quality RV

Excellent summary report. Thanks. The high end market is kinda like when we bought our 2004 Airstream 30’ classic. In July 2003, we got 28% off MSRP, even as a customized order. Our Airstream’s quality was terrible then, and Thor did not stand behind the trailer’s warranty. Seems today is the same. We are so glad we got into the molded fiberglass trailer. At 5 years and more than 100,000 miles, our Canadian-made Escape Trailer has had only one warranty issue - a defective Dexter axle.

We are actively planning for full-time RV life. Our current travel trailer at 21' is too small for the long-term. I am frustrated and disillusioned by the poor quality that I am seeing and hearing from the experiences that other rv owners are having. I agree, a salary vs per piece work would improve quality if given the correct corporate culture. That culture only exists in several independent (privately owned) companies. That narrows down my list considerably. We will stick with our current travel trailer for the foreseeable future. Keep up the good work!

What are the top three brands you’d choose for a camper trailer? I have a wife 1 and 2 year old and need something that stays nice and cool in Texas summers. I’ll be subbing and liking because I’m a newb and just now doing research. Thanks in advance for any advice

Great report John !! I knew the newbies/ pandemic buyers would bail out . I see for sale signs in plenty in the storage yards. This economy has huge effects on the high end market! Thanks for the update and views! 😁👍

Thanks John. We are still on the side line. Just no hope in quality overall, terrible thing to say.

Good report. In 3 trips since before Memorial Day weekend, I've seen at least a dozen rv dealers throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania with trailers stacked on their lots. Also passed the drv and cruiser rv manufacturer lot in Indiana, with piles of Unlettered units outside... so even if production numbers seem upward, I highly doubt if barely anything is being sold. This will crash and burn much worse than 2008 because they're making rv's as if everyone in the US should be buying a new one every other year like the auto industry does. My 2007 Arctic Fox Truck Camper is built like a tank and in good shape. Zero Lippert components as well on that year coach as it was built the year before the Happijac acquisition. Hopefully, new buyers get smart and refrain from buying anything newer than 2018... there's a lot of nice used units that pop up on the market.