"Fixing What is Wrong ... .."

Hello RVers,

 

Is it time for the RV Industry to take a short breather and “Fix What is Wrong” before charging ahead with another banner year of outstanding Sales?  The simple answer is YES.  If you are having trouble making up your mind regarding this question, then I invite you to read on. 

 

I have a great respect for the RV Industry.  It has allowed a vast population of folks to enjoy traveling this Nation at a reasonable expense.  It has made a few individuals very wealthy.  It has also provided countless jobs for many folks.  Yes, in many ways, the RV Industry demands a great deal of respect for what it has accomplished.

 

Yet, like all industries, the RV Industry has also gained a few “black eyes” over it’s existence.  One such “Black Eye” story follows.

 

Recently a Detroit area based Industrial Designer friend of mine told me of the experience that his brother-in-law had with his new RV.   His version of the story reads lke a sorry tale of woe.  “My brother-in-law and his family are seasoned campers and RVers of many years.  They know all about tent camping, pop-up trailers, and Travel Trailers and have enjoyed many years of travel in these units” he relates.

 

“But now they had the bug to replace their 7 year old RV” he writes, “and thus armed with his check book, my brother-in-law set out to shop.”  He continues “it was not long before we saw him pulling a new, very long, 5^th Wheel unit.”

 

“Now my brother-in-law and his significant companion have talked about becoming “Full Timers” and thus, with their new 5^th Wheel loaded and hooked up to his F-350, they set off for a 6 month swing toward the West Coast of Canada.”

 

The story continues.  “They made it as far as Winnipeg before things started to happen” he related.  “We had made it around the top of Lake Superior and every thing was going well.  The new RV was great, that is, until we pulled into service station in Winnipeg for fuel.”

 

“I was doing my normal “walk-around” as we got ready to leave and noticed a large water puddle on the service station ramp.  The puddle was still forming, so I looked under the RV and found the source.  One of the joints from the Gray water tank was leaking.”

 

“The Service Station attendant helped my brother-in-law locate an RV Dealer who agreed to make the repair to the pipe joint” he writes, “but the Dealer could not make the repair until the next day.”

 

To make a long story short, the RV Dealer quickly discovered that when his Technician began to make the drainpipe repair, he found that all of the joints in the drain piping were not adequately sealed.

 

My friend continues his story.  “With the Tech hard at work with the drainpipe repair, my brother-in-law began to wonder how many other areas could present a problem?”

As I leaned from my Designer friend, the Tech ended up re-installing the Gray and Black waste tanks and re-installing all of the plumbing for these tanks.  He also found and repaired some water leaks at the Hot Water heater.

 

“I was amazed that these kind of problems would happen on a new RV” the brother-in-law continued.

 

What really bothers me as I relate this story is that Bad News Travels Fast.  Although I do not know for certain, I am sure that the brother-in-law has told his story to many of his friends.  And, undoubtedly, the friends have told it to other friends as well.      

 

Why be concerned?

 

Dr. Richard Curtin is the Director of Consumer Surveys at the University of Michigan.  I was recently reading his latest publication on the future of the RV Industry, and with many thanks to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), I offer the following extract from Dr. Curtin’s latest forecast.

 

According to Dr. Curtin “RV shipments will rise 3.5% in 2008, resuming the RV industry’s growth trend since 2001. The leading edge of the baby boom generation has just entered their prime retirement ages, and the number that retires will accelerate over the next decade.  Moreover, the RV industry has been successful in attracting younger buyers.”

 

We can only hope that the RV Industry can tighten up on Quality Control and Final Inspection Procedures.  There is a lot of top notch competition in the RV Industry.  This is not the time to have “Black Eye” experiences.

 

Hope your travels are uneventful.  If not, tell me about them.

 

Tech Support