itself said:
Thanks for the great advice. What a shame that RVs in general are just not built well. But again, as I stated in another thread, this is why I buy Japanese cars, and also, Japanese components for my bicycles.
The richest nation in the world, The US of A, produces junk. My word, it seems like if someone got the capital up, they could start an RV company that would outshine all others!
Lisa
If everyone followed your logic... everyone would buy Japanese cars, fridges, washing machines, trucks, computers, dining tables, etc, etc, etc they would even go to Japan for haircuts, heart surgery, lettuce, steaks, carpet, coffee, tea, space shuttles, military hardware, airplanes, etc, etc. There's a reason most of us don't do that... it's not true. Every machine, even the ones manufactured, actually designed, in Japan, needs attention and maintenance, just like the ones manufactured here or Germany or Korea or Mexico or Brazil or wherever. I readily admit that Japanese cars have a decidedly strong reputation for initial quality. I also know that you will hear testimonials here and other places that show the differences you perceive are not as large as many people think they are.
It's never fails to amaze me how difficult it is to actually build a vehicle, any vehicle, and at the same time most folks assume that it is "no big deal" but have never even met an engineer/scientist or anyone in the business of providing all the technical marvels we take for granted. My DW often mentions that she is still amazed that there is electrical power at the flip of a switch, all day, all night, 24/7 and that it only costs 12 cents per kilowatt hr. She said if she had to figure this out, she'd charge $1000 per kilowatt-hr. LOL, she's right. Which gets me back to motorhomes... many of the components that go into a motorhome are extremely reliable, there are the same fuzes, bulbs, wiring, hoses, brake materials, bearings, electronics, etc, etc that are used in every vehicle on the road. Then there are systems that are only in motorhomes, like hydraulic leveling systems, integrated AC/DC and gen/set power systems, fresh water distribution systems, sewage storage systems, and many others and this assembly is capable of running down the road at 60-70 MPH and still achieving a reasonable MPG. They are actually almost custom made for each buyer... and there are literally hundreds of factories doing this. Go to the Honda dealer and ask for a custom made vehicle sometime... LOL they won't know what to say. Ask a street racing customizer how much they charge for a top-of-the-line race car customized to your specifications... it will be like $150 grand for a custom Honda with no warranty and you will need a highly trained mechanic to keep it running. If some MH factory built 1,000,000 identical motorhomes per year, I predict that they would reach a much higher level of initial reliability and quality.
So, as I mentioned above, go to a show and find the one you like, learn how to operate it, appreciate it and take care of it... then ask your question again and see if your assertion that US built products are not "reliable" is still true. As many folks have mentioned, the globalization "revolution" has blurred the boundaries so much that it is difficult to say where something is made anymore. It's a lot more about politics, marketing and finance these days... unfortunately. IMHO, FWIW, as usual. thx, Gary