Door came off in my hand: 2018 Scamp 19

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Berthaduniverse

. I also honestly don't see any significant quality differences between Escape, Calista, and Scamp. .

A very astute , accurate and honest statement in my estimation.
The ,” I own it so it must be the best “ philosophy has always puzzled me !!

[Darwin Maring]

Steve, I liked your reply. People get upset when a negative remark is made about the brand they own.

Our Scamp 19 5r with wood cabinets that we no longer own had quality problems, Roof leak, several wood doors came unglued, and the flex axle riped away from the frame. I repaired the problems B 4 it was sold, Scamp chipped in to help with the axle repair. If you read the posts on this site you will see there are a plethora of water leaks on these fiberglass campers. It is a fact. Now Steve, let you and me set back and read the rebuttals. (:-)

[Jon in AZ]

I think it has a lot to do with expectations. I have been around various RVs since I was 10 years old. All had issues and required continual fiddling, some more than others.

The problem with first-time RV owners is they expect reliability like modern automobiles. The problem with that expectation is RVs are largely unregulated and use design and manufacturing processes that the auto industry abandoned many decades ago. They’re made more like stick-built homes, with hand labor and a long punch list at the end.

Some RV manufacturers do a better job than others with final inspection and correction of errors, but all leave a lot to the consumer. Molded fiberglass in general does better about warranty service. Conventional RVs are infamous for long delays to obtain dealer warranty repair.

My Scamp has had fewer problems than other RVs I’ve had personal experience with, but mainly because it is very simple. At the moment the house 12V system has decided to take a vacation (maybe a fuse), one rear taillight has started leaking (time to upgrade to LEDs), and all the windows are due for re-sealing. The greatest advantage of molded fiberglass is the durability of the shell itself, which makes it worthwhile to keep fixing all the other stuff.

The best-built RV I ever had was a 1968 24’ Holiday Rambler with an all-aluminum frame and all-composite cabinets. Never towed it, but lived in it full-time for 4 years from 1985-1989. All systems worked as designed for the whole four years. Never a leak. The fact that it sat in one spot the whole time may have something to do with that.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I think it has a lot to do with expectations. I have been around various RVs since I was 10 years old. All had issues and required continual fiddling, some more than others.

The problem with new RV owners is they expect reliability like modern automobiles. The problem with that expectation is RVs are largely unregulated and use design and manufacturing processes that the auto industry abandoned many decades ago. They’re made more like stick-built homes, with a long punch list at the end.

Some RV manufacturers do a better job than others with final inspection and correction of errors, but all leave a lot to the consumer. Molded fiberglass in general does better about warranty service. Conventional RVs are infamous for long delays to obtain dealer warranty repair.

My Scamp has had fewer problems than other RVs I’ve had personal experience with, but mainly because it is very simple. At the moment the house 12V system has decided to take a vacation (maybe a fuse), one rear taillight has started leaking (time to upgrade to LEDs), and all the windows are due for re-sealing.

The best-built RV I ever had was a 1968 24’ Holiday Rambler. Never towed it, but lived in it full-time for 4 years from 1985-1989. All systems worked flawlessly for the whole four years. Never a leak.

Jon , I think you made an astute observation
I believe that I assumed when the price of a trailer rose above the norm the standard features, options and quality would rise accordingly
Well the features and available options did rise but the quality did not
The close enough is good enough philosophy is still alive , reminiscent of auto manufacturing in the 1970’s
My Escape cost four times what my first Scamp costs and yes the problems / issues are directly proportional to the price paid

[Jon in AZ]

I honestly don’t know, Steve. The Holiday Rambler was a premium build for its time, and it showed. Everything was just tight, even though it was 17 years old when I bought it. It was also quite heavy.

Whether there are still any premium builds that deserve the designation is outside my experience. Oliver, Bigfoot, Happier Camper, and Armadillo- among molded brands- seem to be genuinely trying.

[Raz]

As I drive down the frost heaved, pot holed, and continually repaired back roads of Vermont, I watch my trailer bounce up, down, back, and forth in the rear view mirror. And since the laws of physics haven't changed since I took the class as an undergratuate, it's no suprise when the mass of the solid maple cabinet door breaks the hinge. Better hinges might survive but would the fiberglass they are screwed into? The more you add to the trailer, the more things are going to fail. If you insist on all the comforts of home on wheels, be prepared for a very high initial cost or lots of repairs.

When I ordered my Trillium I added three options; brakes, a 3 way fridge, and a furnace. After repairing all the build quality issues, my trailer has been for the most part trouble free other than typical maintenance. But it's primitive compared to what most folks tow.

Oh, and if I had to do it again, I'd skip the furnace.

[thrifty bill]

Consider this: many of the RV manufacturers have invested in a large, warranty repair facility ON SITE at their factories! Tells you the amount of problems they have! Imagine buying a car where the factory had a large repair center attached, I would not buy that brand!

Regardless of price, the RV industry is not noted for quality. Imagine paying $500k to $1 million for a fancy motorcoach and ending up with pages of defects.

It’s decades behind on quality and behind on innovation too. Innovation in the RV industry is a new floor plan, it’s not a better manufacturing process.

A basic Scamp has the benefit of simplicity and few changes in decades. And realize all the brands get appliances and many parts from the same small group of suppliers.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Consider this: many of the RV manufacturers have invested in a large, warranty repair facility ON SITE at their factories! Tells you the amount of problems they have! Imagine buying a car where the factory had a large repair center attached, I would not buy that brand!

Regardless of price, the RV industry is not noted for quality. Imagine paying $500k to $1 million for a fancy motorcoach and ending up with pages of defects.

It’s decades behind on quality and behind on innovation too. Innovation in the RV industry is a new floor plan, it’s not a better manufacturing process.

A basic Scamp has the benefit of simplicity and few changes in decades. And realize all the brands get appliances and many parts from the same small group of suppliers.

Nailed it!!!