danielRVs are a slapped together bunch of popsicle sticks, bubble gum, and staples rattling down the road at 65 miles per hour. Add to that they have the craftsmanship of a elementary school diorama and things get interesting.
The expectation most folks have buying a RV, especially a new RV is divorced from reality. It would be nice if the quality was a lot higher but its not. Having RV is a labor of love. There will be issues that need to be addressed every season and preventative maintenance that must be done. If your plan is to use the dealerships service department it can be frustrating especially with how busy they have been the last few years. The good news is its not hard to work on these things. They are put together so poorly its not that big of a deal to tear things apart and put them back together. More often then not the end result will be better then factory fresh. Our RV is just a tool that lets my family get out and explore, a little patina and a few scars are evidence of time well enjoyed.
Major Issues
Fire!
I found evidence of a electrical fire behind the fridge. Melted wires and char marks are not something you want to see. After pulling the fridge and cutting some access holes it became evident that one of the marker light screws penetrated the 20amp romex wire for the A/C and shorted out the wire resulting in melted wires and burn marks. This had to happen during the build because they then ran a piece of romex outside the wall bypassing the short. The romex was marked with the same brand and build time as the factory wiring. I was able to get Forest River and my dealer to better address the issue.
Flood!
There is not enough room under my shower pan for a p-trap so they cut the floor away. That leaves the pressure/friction fit p-trap plenty of room to separate after bouncing down the highway. It is just a poor design, I have added a brace under the p-trap that will no longer allow it to fully separate. The result was a showers worth of water pouring into the insulation under the floor. Left alone it would have resulted in major mold and mildew issues. I had to cut the tarp/vapor barrier under the trailer to access and remove all the wet insulation. I then dried the area well and added new insulation. I was able to seal the vapor barrier back up with scrim shield repair tape which is made specifically for that use. The next trip after this repair one of my kids jammed the toilet valve open causing it to over flow, necessitating another round of repair déjà vu.
Roof bubble
There is a common issue on RVs especially with TPO roofs where the front part of the roof membrane lifts up during travel. This pulls it away from the seals and can even tear it. I am not sure if it is caused by suction from the low pressure zone, air getting under it, or poor adhesive application. Probably a bit of all of it. I injected more adhesive under the membrane and caulked a seam in my front cap, it seems to be holding better.