Casita Factory Defects Disappointments!

[IMEd]

Businesses of all types will produce the lowest quality product a customer will accept.
The sad reality.
When enough buyers demand better, they will produce better.

As long as we will accept crap we will get crap.

[IMEd]

Originally Posted by gordon2

I'm sorry.. I dont understand... which of these flaws are the major ones?

IMHO... if it does not affect the function then it does not even begin to raise to the level of a major flaw. If everything functions and you can get out and enjoy the world then you are far ahead of the game.

I suggest you return the camper and get a full refund, then go buy an Oliver. The Oliver will most likely have the near perfection you are looking for.

If you bought a new car and some spots on a fender were not painted, would that be OK with you?
I mean, you can still drive the car, right?

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by IMEd

If you bought a new car and some spots on a fender were not painted, would that be OK with you?
I mean, you can still drive the car, right?

In fact I had a number of MINOR defects with my Scamp*, including cosmetic ones. None were MAJOR.. all the important things worked. And I enjoyed the camper and have no regrets.

* Post is from 2015.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by IMEd

Businesses of all types will produce the lowest quality product a customer will accept.
...When enough buyers demand better, they will produce better.

And the buyers will pay more.. maybe a lot more.. see https://olivertraveltrailers.com/

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

$32,000 for that much money you deserve perfection.

Tea just shot out my nose. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. $32,000 isn't a whole lot to pay for an RV, you're just used to 2002 pricing.

I looked at a 41 foot sticky about a week ago, it cost nearly 5 times what I paid for my first HOUSE. And that trailer wasn't perfect either...

[ShelbyM]

If these small issues have soured the purchase, maybe it wasn't a good fit from the start. RV ownership doesn't suit everyone and maybe there is a more enjoyable way to spend the windfall. Since the trailer is new, it seems possible it could be sold for close to cost. Casita might even be interested, given the wait for new trailers.

[Deva]

Whether you buy new or used, it pays to have NRVIA inspector go over the rig before you hand over final payment. Yes, $250-500 seems a lot to pay for this (sometimes even more- all depends on your rig) but it will save many expensive future headaches…

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Deva

Whether you buy new or used, it pays to have NRVIA inspector go over the rig before you hand over final payment. Yes, $250-500 seems a lot to pay for this (sometimes even more- all depends on your rig) but it will save many expensive future headaches…

You're kidding right? And it's RVIA... No N. It's an Association, nothing more. RVIA has no legal standing. Manufacturers pay to JOIN, it's a money maker only. IMHO the value is what is being paid for, not what is earned. In fact, I even made my OWN decal. BTW, RVIA started in 1981. And before anyone jumps down my throat, look at all the TRASH RVs being manufactured and most are RVIA certified.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by ThreeSixtyIcon

Hello from Missouri

I am new to the forum because we just picked up our new 2022 Spirit Deluxe in Rice, TX on 9/27/21.

We were glad to get it within 30 days by paying a 3k premium instead of the 12-18 month waiting list.

The day finally arrived and away I went on a 1300+ mile trip to pick it up!!

The funds for this were from my father that passed away earlier this year or we could have never afforded to get this! Thank You Dad!!

When i arrived there were several that were picking there's up also, but with limitations because of the COVID. Finally my appointment arrived and i spent most of the time learning about the Anderson on how to hook and unhook it, I took a brief look inside and after it was hooked up and tested and all the paper wotk was done away i went to get back home...


When i arrived the next day my wife went inside and was checking it out and noticed a few flaws - some major so i thought i should contact them about the defects since it had a warranty and i had just gave then a check for $32,000 a few days since i had got it. no worries...

I learn different - So once we were gone your sales rep that took our payment, did all the legal stuff and communications since our first contact cannot help on taking care of anything- they pass you off to the parts guy Tyler that i barely met while there.

- The paint on the microwave door was not completed/unfinished
- Paint smear on carpet wall liner
- Kitchen Drawer 1/2 unfinished on edges- sloppy work
- Scaly dirt embedded in the finish on the back of bathroom door

Here is the response when i told them and sent photos -

Sales Manager - Sorry about that - I will see what i can do, but no promises - I waited 4 hours for her to call back aft asking what they were going to do?

- The parts guy told me that were not doing to send me a new door - only paint that i was going to take the door off sand it - go buy a foam roller - part it yourself and the reInstall - I told him that's not satisfactory ! I bought a new camper and I wanted it fixed, he replied, sorry this is where casita stands on the defect sorry!


so i called my rep and all she could do was apologize and said there was nothin she could do.

I am not happy but i guess i will fix it myself and cuss Casita while I'm doing it!

So there going to spend money one sending me paint so i asked - i will pay to send you the defective door and you send me a good one in return - denied!

Sad but True. Hate being a stinker about this but i was shocked that the defect was not something Casita was interested in making me happy about! I guess i could call the Attorney General in Texas and file a consumer complaint- Shame on you Casita for doing this to US!!

The door edges all are unfinished. It is the way they come. We got our new Casita in 2007 and spent the first night in Corsicana. It was worth it since our screen door didn't close properly. The propane tanks are not filled at the factory since they have to be done by a licensed person. The campground was able to fill ours. Any time you buy something new check it out totally before leaving the area.

[Gerry]

You paid 100% you should get 100% satisfaction ... i'd be ticked off too!

[Mark J]

"Major flaws" will be subjective and likely vary among new buyers picking up their trailers.

Even so, the major issue I see is the poor response/poor customer service received from the factory. I find the response greatly lacking. They could (and should have) have worked with the customer to agree on acceptable repairs.

Yes they can afford to do it now when the demand for trailers is so high; but it make come back to bite them "if" the demand ever drops.

[thrifty bill]

Agree with Mark J. I would consider the defects to be minor, but the response to be very poor.

No doubt these huge order backlogs have caused some manufacturers to lower their customer service responsiveness. Long term, this will bite them in the a...

In my years of manufacturing management, we treated complaints as a gift. First, not everyone who is unhappy bothers to complain. So one complaint may represent a dozen or more unsatisfied customers. Secondly, it was a window into our quality assurance. Obviously, they need to inspect their product more carefully and look. deeper into their cabinet building/painting.

If you use every complaint as an opportunity to improve, everyone benefit. Makes the company stronger.

[Jon in AZ]

In theory at least, RVIA does inspections… of factories, not individual units. The inspections focus on code compliance, not on build quality, and certainly not on cosmetic fit and finish. I’d say the inspections are cursory and spotty, as most of the membership dues go to industry promotion and lobbying. RVIA membership is expensive, and some smaller companies opt out. That’s why you don’t see their products at the big RV shows.

On the plus side, small manufacturers like Casita are more likely to have a stable, experienced work force than the big operations in Elkhart, which is generally good for assembly quality. But not always, especially during the current “crank ‘em out” sales boom with a pandemic impacting day-to-day staffing.

Having a qualified RV technician do a pre-purchase inspection is a good practice (and I’m sure that’s what Deva meant), but it’s not commonly done with new purchases. Even with used units it’s more common with late model, high dollar purchases. In the current used fiberglass market, some sellers are going to respond, “Take it or leave it. I’ve got ten more people lined up.”

I agree that the real problem here appears to be the unsympathetic response of the company more than the seriousness of the problems. None render the unit, or even any major system, unusable. Attitude is so important, and that’s a two-way street. As the adage goes, “honey catches more flies than vinegar.” I’ve forgotten that on more than one occasion myself in the frustration of a purchase that didn’t meet my expectations.

I love the idea of custom wood cabinet doors!

[Casita Greg]

I'm just amazed that they are selling them for $32,000 now. Talk about "sticker shock!" I know it's been 13 years since I bought mine, back in 2008, but I only paid $16,000 out-the-door for mine back then, and that was with every upgrade and option that was offered at the time. Price doubled in just 13 years.
And sorry to hear about your problems. Casita used to have much better customer service back then too. I would not be a happy camper either, for that much money for a brand new trailer, only to have those kind of headaches in dealing with them on those issues. They should "own it," and make good on those discrepancies. I guess that is the way this world is headed. Sad.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

You're kidding right? And it's RVIA... No N. It's an Association, nothing more. RVIA has no legal standing. Manufacturers pay to JOIN, it's a money maker only. IMHO the value is what is being paid for, not what is earned. In fact, I even made my OWN decal. BTW, RVIA started in 1981. And before anyone jumps down my throat, look at all the TRASH RVs being manufactured and most are RVIA certified.

Sorry Donna D, but it is NRVIA!!! National Recreational Vehicle Inspectors Association - https://nrvia.org/ Don't acronyms just get the best of you?

[Casita Greg]

To my knowledge, Casita has never subscribed to the rules or policies, (or been a member,) of the RVIA anyway. Moot point...

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

I'm just amazed that they are selling them for $32,000 now. Talk about "sticker shock!" I know it's been 13 years since I bought mine, back in 2008, but I only paid $16,000 out-the-door for mine back then, and that was with every upgrade and option that was offered at the time. Price doubled in just 13 years…

According to the first post, he paid a $3K premium to skip the wait. That would make the current list price $29K. My 2008 Scamp originally sold for $8500. I believe the same unit now is also a bit less than double. I’d guess close to half the increase has been within the last few years.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

According to the first post, he paid a $3K premium to skip the wait

Paying extra to jump to the head of the line. Not a practice I like to see. But then I'm not a big fan of campground reservations either. Also if they're so busy how do they "sqeeze" you in?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by parmm

Sorry Donna D, but it is NRVIA!!! National Recreational Vehicle Inspectors Association - https://nrvia.org/ Don't acronyms just get the best of you?

MY BAD and I owe Deva an apology. I was thinking of the manufacturers association RVIA not the inspection association! SORRY!!!

But I STILL wouldn't pay for it, nope, nope, nope. YMMV

National Recreational Vehicle Inspectors Association (NRVIA)

RV Industry Association (RVIA)

[Deva]

“You're kidding right? And it's RVIA... No N. It's an Association, nothing more. RVIA has no legal standing. Manufacturers pay to JOIN, it's a money maker only. IMHO the value is what is being paid for, not what is earned. In fact, I even made my OWN decal. BTW, RVIA started in 1981. And before anyone jumps down my throat, look at all the TRASH RVs being manufactured and most are RVIA certified.“

No, not kidding but to each his:he her own.
Linked is the actual website for NRVIA (yes, there is an N there…)

https://nrvia.org/locate/