25% of RV consumers unhappy

According to a study conducted ten years ago by the Committee of Excellence, an RV industry group, nearly 25 percent of RV consumers would never purchase again and would tell their friends that buying and owning an RV was a bad experience. What is amazing, according to the article in the RV Trade Digest, is that the percentage remains about the same today!

Five areas were identified but, according to the article, "The reality is all five areas center around a single problem – RVs breaking down and not getting fixed quickly."

The main reason is money. By cutting costs and lowering prices, RVs are available to more people. Some companies are making big bucks producing cheap units and providing little or no customer service.

We joke about having to stay in the area where you bought your RV for a couple of weeks afterward your purchase so the dealer can fix anything that doesn't work or have gone wrong. But it's not a joke - it's the sad truth - even for expensive RVs. Many RVers make an annual trek to the dealer or factory for repairs. My late husband always used to that if the Japanese would get into the business of making RVs, the whole industry would improve. Look what happened with automobiles.

I remember one couple who had purchased a very expensive motorhome. They were in Quartzsite and he was a cursing because of the all the things wrong. He went back to the same dealer and traded it in on another one! That would not be my response. For some people the experience is so bad they vow never to have an RV again. That's the other extreme, but understandable.

The RV Consumers Group is one place you can report defective RVs, especially if the dealer won't make it right. At least you can let other potential buyers know through their rating system. Their materials, by the way, are a must-have for researching rigs. We wouldn't buy one without looking at their ratings. Consumer Action lines might help you too. "Buyer Beware" is very much alive in the RV industry. Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak