Diesel99,
Factory delivery is offered by many Motorhome manufacturers and, possibly, for TT's & 5ers. Well, it was before the melt down and may still be offered.
One picks up their coach at the factory service center. Before the new owner arrives they do a complete Pre Delivery Inspection. It's here where many of the manufacturing problems are found and corrected. It is better than dealer delivery since they have highly trained technicians with all the parts available almost immediately. They also give a very detailed orientation before you leave the service center. At the American Coach service facility I've seen new owners on site for several days while all concerns are addressed. It does cost more but you won't have to pay delivery charges. Well worth it in my opinion.
Steelers1407
Many new RV's have minor problems that are usually caught and corrected by the PDI. Unfortunately, one cannot find each and every one of them so a few slip through the cracks. The important thing is how the dealer handles those instances. I have been doing PDI's and orientation part time for 13 years. It is very difficult to catch everything since there is a limited time in which to perform the inspections.
An RV is a house moving down the road. Things are naturally going to happen that normally won't happen with a stick built house. I'd say the majority of problems will have to do more with stuff like sealant drying out causing leaks, things coming loose and water fittings leaking than actual failures of appliances, etc. Appliance failures will happen to some but not as frequently as the other problems.
Someone mentioned the shabby workmanship of rough holes, sawdust, etc. Yes, they are common in many trailers and not something the dealer can fix, except for cleaning up a mess if found.
Many times I will remove drawers and find a lot of sawdust. We get the cleaning person to take care of it before the coach is delivered. Most of that stuff is hidden from view and won't affect the integrity of the coach to any degree.
A normal PDI will include the operation of each and every appliance to make sure it works. All tanks are flooded and each faucet is run to find any leaks in the system. Brake systems are checked; electrical systems are tested; the roof is checked for any defects that might cause leaks; drawers and doors are checked for proper operation. We have a full page list of four columns, in small print, with items that must be checked off before the PDI is signed by the tech. Believe me, we want to be sure we have done the best we can since our name is on the sheet. You know the boss will find you if something is wrong!! ;D
Just so everyone knows, I am not a certified tech but whenever I find anything that doesn't look right, and I can't fix it, I contact one of the techs in the shop and they take care of it immediately. Since it's a small dealership this works very well.
You may or may not experience many of these problems. It depends upon the quality of the manufacturing as to how many things might be wrong. Even the top rated companies could have problems that are not detected before you take delivery. I would suggest shopping around and asking for input from owners of those rigs in which you are interested. Just keep in mind you could still have a few problems that others do not. Quick and positive resolution of those problems is most important.