Category: RV Living

The Best Portable RV Air Compressors

This article is about the best portable RV air compressors to use for travel and camping.

Yes, a good air compressor is an essential piece of equipment for RVers.

Watch my video about the best portable RV air compressors

Table of Contents

Why Have A Portable Air Compressor For Your RV?

And the most important job that an air compressor has around an RV is to keep your tires inflated properly.

That’s critical because it’s a life safety issue. But having a good air compressor handy is also great for inflating other items.

Like kids toys, a temporary bed, or things like that. And believe me, it’ll save a lot of time time and effort over trying to blow them up manually.

Air compressors are great for inflating lots of things around an RV
Air compressors are great for inflating lots of things around an RV

Also, having an air compressor with a tank attached to it can be good for running air tools.

So for you DIY RVers who like to use air tools in your projects, that could be very useful too.

An air compressor can also do double duty for DIY RVers
An air compressor can also do double duty for DIY RVers

And with the right adapter, an air compressor can also be used to blow all the water out of your plumbing lines.

And that comes in handy at the end of the RVing season when you’re winterizing your RV.

So I think you can see there’s a lot of good uses for an air compressor around an RV.

An Important Point About The Best Portable RV Compressors

But the question is, what kind of air compressor specifications should you be looking for?

Well personally, I think you need to decide first of all whether it will have a tank or not.

An air compressor that comes with a tank
An air compressor that comes with a tank

Because if you’re going to be doing DIY projects around the RV, then it can come in handy by doing double duty for you.

But the truth is that if you’re just using an air compressor for inflating tires and other items, there’s really no need for a tank.

In fact, the tank just takes up very precious space and weight that’s not necessary.

What Size Will You Need To Inflate Your RV’s Tires?

Now the other thing you need to know is, what are the maximum PSI ratings for the tires on your rig?

And what kind of tire pressure are they going to require? The answer to that will tell you what size air compressor you’re going to need.

Of course, travel trailers generally only use about 60 to 80 psi in their tires.

Smaller travel trailers don't require tires with a high PSI rating
Smaller travel trailers don’t require tires with a high PSI rating

But a Class A motorhome could require up to 120 PSI in those big 22 1/2 inch tires.

Some diesel pusher motorhomes may require 120 PSI in their tires
Some diesel pusher motorhomes may require 120 PSI in their tires

So my recommendation is, it’s best usually to get an air compressor that’s actually more than your current needs.

Because if you decide to upgrade your RV later on down the line to a bigger one, you don’t have to go and get another air compressor.

Instead, you can just take the one you have with you now and it should do the job just fine.

But another thing you need to know is, how much cubic feet per minute an air compressor will be able to put out.

And that’s simply the amount of air that it’s pushing out at one time. The higher the number, the faster the inflation rate.

And that means you get done with your job of tire inflation faster and easier.

Air Compressors That Run On 120 Volt Power

Also, keep in mind that most tankless air compressors are going to run on 12 volt battery power.

However, air compressors with tanks are usually going to require 120 volt AC power instead.

And that means that you’re going to need an outlet to plug into for AC power.

Also, the outlet needs to be useable even when you’re not necessarily connected to shore power.

Because you may need to use your air compressor for tire inflation when no shore power is available.

The Best Portable RV Air Compressors That Run On 12 Volt Power

But what about 12 volt air compressors that run on battery power instead of a wall outlet?

Well, usually they plug into the cigarette lighter. Or they may attach to your battery directly instead.

Some of the best portable RV air compressors run directly off of a battery
Some of the best portable RV air compressors run directly off of a battery

And when they do, they’re kind of stationary at that point. They can’t be moved around very far away from the 12 volt battery source.

So the other thing you’re going to need is a long enough air hose that can reach the entire RV.

And I recommend that the hose should be somewhere between 30 and 60 feet in length. Of course, it all depends on the length of your RV.

Also, you should probably get one that’s kind of wound up tightly and can expand out as you need.

That way it doesn’t take up nearly as much room in your storage compartment.

What Is A Duty Cycle And Why Is It Important?

Now the next thing you want to consider with an air compressor is its duty cycle. So what is a duty cycle?

That’s simply how long that air compressor can run continuously without having to shut off and cool down.

Now some air compressors can only run for about 15 minutes and then they have to shut off for a while. But others can run for an hour or so.

And the duty cycle is usually represented in the specifications for an air compressor as a percentage.

So if you see a 100% duty cycle it means it can go a full hour without shutting off.

If you see 50%, that means about 30 minutes. And 33 means 20 minutes, and so on.

With all that said, let’s get to the point of what brands of air compressors you should consider. And here are my recommendations:

#1 On My List Of The Best Portable RV Air Compressors

First of all, let’s consider an air compressor that has a tank. And in that case, I’m going to recommend the Dewalt 6 gallon air compressor.

One of the best portable RV air compressors is made by Dewalt
One of the best portable RV air compressors is made by Dewalt

It can inflate up to 165 PSI. And that means it can handle pretty much anything an RV can throw at it.

Also it’s very good for using with air tools too. So the DIYers will be happy with it. And the cost is going to be around $190.

Of course, there are other air compressors with tanks available. But I chose Dewalt because the name is known for reliability and quality.

#2 – A Great Inexpensive Tankless RV Air Compressor

OK, next up we’re going to talk about two tankless air compressors. And the first one is the Viair 88P.

A great inexpensive RV air compressor is the ViAir 88P
A great inexpensive RV air compressor is the ViAir 88P

It can inflate up to 120 PSI, and that’s very good. Also, the duty cycle is around 25 minutes at 30 PSI.

So if you’re inflating at a higher PSI than that, it could be less. And the cubic feet per minute is around 1.4.

Now the average for these kind of air compressors is around 2.0. So it’s a little low on that particular spec.

And it means that it’s going to take you longer to inflate things. But the good news is the price. Because it comes comes in at only $90.

So it’s a very good air compressor to choose for travel trailers and smaller motorhomes.

#3 – The Best Air Compressor I Can Recommend For You

Next up is the best that I can recommend for you. And that is the Viair 400P-RV. And I think you can tell from the name that it’s made for RVs.

One of the best portable RV air compressors you can buy is the ViAir 450P-RV

It can inflate up to 150 psi for those larger motorhome tires. And it has a 100% duty cycle.

So it can go a full hour running flat out with no problem. And the cubic feet per minute rating is 2.3.

So that’s considerably more than the 88P, and should get things inflated quicker for you.

Now the downside though is the cost, since it comes in at $350. And that’s a lot to spend on air compressor for your RV.

But let me say that this particular air compressor is a “buy it and forget it” type of product.

It can last you through any RV change you’re going to make and still be useful. So it really should be considered for that reason alone.

An Important Word About Quality

Now I guess you’ve noticed that I only recommended Viair for tankless air compressors. And there’s a reason for that.

It’s because Viair is well known in the RV industry. It’s known for its reliability and for its quality.

And if you look on Amazon there are thousands of reviews for Viair air compressors.

And they are all coming in around a 4.7 out of 5 rating. So that pretty much tells you that you’re buying a good product.

But any of the air compressors that I mentioned here will work well. Just follow the links I have provided in the article to learn more about them.

That way you can go check them out and see if there’s something that will work for your situation.

Conclusion

Well, hopefully this article about the best portable RV air compressors will help you choose the right air compressor for your needs and budget.

And that will help you enjoy safe and happy travels on your RV adventures!

Airstream Alternatives That You Should Buy Now

In this article, I’m going to be talking about the best Airstream alternatives.

And of course, Airstream travel trailers are iconic in the RVing world. You see lots of them on the road and in campgrounds.

Watch my video about the best Airstream alternatives

Table of Contents

Reasons Why Airstream RVs Are Such An Icon

And Airstream says that roughly 70% or more of the RVs they have ever built are still on the road today. What a longevity record that is!

Airstream travel trailers are made to last a lifetime
Airstream travel trailers are made to last a lifetime

And it’s especially impressive when you consider that Airstream has been in business for almost 90 years now.

And during that 90 years they’ve been owned by Thor, another RV manufacturer, for about half of that time. About 45 years.

Now you may hear some people disparage Airstream because of being owned by Thor.

But the reality is that Airstream has grown to one of the top positions in the RV industry.

And they have built their great reputation mainly during the years that Thor has owned them.

Also, at this this point there are lots of fans and lots of support groups for Airstream.

In fact, the Airstream online community is a very viable and active group of owners.

So if you buy an Airstream, you can just plug right into that community if you choose. And I’m sure you would benefit by doing that.

So there’s lots of great reasons to buy an Airstream. In fact, I made a video about the pros and the cons of buying an Airstream a while back.

And if you’re thinking about buying an Airstream, it would be a good idea to look at that video. So just click here to see it.

A Word About Airstream’s Build Quality

But I can say this about Airstream. They are built very well! In fact, it takes roughly 350 hours to build an Airstream RV at the factory.

These travel trailers can take 350 hours to build at the factory
An Airstream can take 350 hours to build at the factory

Now what does that really mean? Well first you need to understand that the average travel trailer only takes about 50 hours to build.

So seven times more effort goes into building an Airstream than most other RV travel trailers. And that’s very impressive!

But it also means that because of that extra time and the quality of the building materials they use, Airstreams are also very expensive.

For instance, just look at the RVs that they build. Like the Flying Cloud, the International, and the Globetrotter.

They all start around $100,000, and go up from there when we’re talking about new models.

And clearly that is in the high end of the travel trailer category for cost.

Why Some People Want Airstream Alternatives

But not everybody likes Airstream though. And there are various reasons for that.

Some don’t like the aluminum skin at all. They just don’t like the way it looks.

Some people just don't like the aluminum skin on Airstream travel trailers
Some people just don’t like the aluminum skin on Airstream travel trailers

Or they may not like the floor plan, the furniture, and so on. Really in many cases it just comes down to a matter of taste.

So the question is this. Are there really viable Airstream alternatives to choose from?

And honestly, there’s not many in the higher end of the travel trailer market.

But I did find three brands that I feel are worthy of consideration.

Especially if you want to compare Airstream with another comparable brand.

Criteria For Choosing The Airstream Alternatives

Now here’s the criteria that I used in searching for these brands as Airstream alternatives.

First of all, they should build a product that’s somewhere between 20 and 30 feet in length. Because that’s where many Airstreams are.

And they should also be known for great build quality. In addition, they should be an upscale unit.

Or in other words, it shouldn’t really be made just for the weekend RVing crowd.

And the product they build should be able to be used on a fulltime RVing basis too. Just like Airstream.

So I have a list of three travel trailer brands that I feel meets that criteria.

Brand #1 That I Can Recommend

Let’s go through them in no particular order. First up, we’ll start with the Oliver Legacy Elite 2.

Airstream alternatives - consider the Oliver Legacy Elite 2
Airstream alternatives – consider the Oliver Legacy Elite 2

And you can take a look at their website while I’m going through the discussion about their features. Just click here to view that site.

OK, the first thing we want to mention is that Oliver went completely away from Airstream in one area.

And that is, they do not use aluminum at all for the outer shell of the RV. Instead they chose to use fiberglass.

And there are very many good reasons for that. In fact, they explain those reasons pretty well on their website.

So I would encourage you to go visit there and take a look at that if you want to know more about fiberglass RVs.

But I can also say that the Oliver products can indeed last you a lifetime. Just like Airstream travel trailers.

And there’s not many RV builders that can say that and back it up with facts.

But if you buy an Oliver, there’s a very good chance you may never have to buy another RV again. And that certainly helps justify the expense!

Now the Legacy Elite 2 comes in at 24 feet in length. And it has 7,000 lb. of gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

What that means is that it’s light enough to be able to be towed by many SUVs and pickup trucks that people already own.

And the cost of the Legacy Elite 2 is right around $100,000 at the time this article is being written.

Brand #2 That You Could Choose Instead Of Airstream

Moving on, number two on the list is Bigfoot, and their B25 series of travel trailers.

Airstream alternatives - the Bigfoot B25.

Once again, you can take a look at the Bigfoot website as I go through information about them. Just click here to do that.

They are a Canadian RV builder that you may never have heard of so far.

But they’re actually fairly well known here in the U.S. among some for overall high quality.

And even though there’s not a lot of them out there, they have a lot of fans. Also, very good reviews from their current owners.

Now they too got away from the aluminum skin that Airstream likes to use. And they build their RVs with a fiberglass shell too.

Once again, there’s a lot of very good reasons for that. But the B25 series is 26 feet in length.

And it’s 7500 lb. of gross vehicle weight rating. So once again, there are plenty of gas powered vehicles that can tow this trailer.

And that’s great, because it means you don’t have to have a diesel engine for towing.

In addition, it’s the most economical of the choices I’m giving you in this article at $80,000.

Airstream Alternatives – Brand #3 On My List

OK, number three on the list is very unique, and honestly it’s just not for everybody. I’ll say that for sure!

But it’s the Bowlus Rivet. And you can take a look at the Bowlus website by clicking here.

Another great choice is the Bowlus Rivet.

Now Bowlus is an ultra high-end travel trailer builder. And when I say ultra high-end, they start at $150,000 for the Rivet.

Interestingly, they didn’t get away from the aluminum skin that Airstream likes to use. They have adopted that approach as well.

So in many ways, they sort of look like an Airstream when you initialy look at them.

But the Rivet comes in at 25 feet of length. And it offers lots of luxury features and beautiful appointments inside. Very nice interiors!

But here is the really amazing thing about the Bowlus Rivet. It comes in at only 3,500 lb. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

And it’s clearly a lot of great engineering that has put all the features into it that they have, and still has been able to maintain that low weight.

So that means it can be towed by even many smaller SUVs out there. As well as most pickup trucks.

Currently, there are only seven dealers for Bowlus in the entire United States at this point.

But but the good news is that they’re fairly well spread out across the US.

So if you want to go see one or talk to someone at the factory, it’s not hard to do that.

But keep in mind too that they have another model, called the Endless Highways. And it’s a little more expensive than the Rivet.

Conclusion

OK, clearly these builders of travel trailers that I’ve just shared with you are higher end products, just like Airstream.

But if you’re willing to pay for high quality, then most likely that’s exactly what you’re going to get.

And I will say too that if you look at brand new versions of their products, you’re probably not going to find a lot of defects out of the factory.

At least not like you do with many other high production RV travel trailer builders.

However, I still feel that an RV inspection would be warranted, even with these products.

That way you can be sure that your new RV is really in tip-top shape. And totally ready for RV camping and travel from the first day you own it.

But the good news is that all of these companies are well known for great customer service after the sale.

So if you do have problems, it shouldn’t be any major issue to get them fixed under warranty.

And finally, if you want to know how to buy any new or used RV the right way, and avoid RV buying regret, then download my guidebooks below.

RV buying guides for new and used RVs.

And if you have my RV buying guidebooks I will be personally available to help you through the buying process.

Well then, I can say confidently that if you’re in the market for Airstream alternatives, any of these three brands should be able to fit the bill.

Have safe and happy RV travels!

New RV Quality – How You Can Spot Good And Bad RVs

This article is about new RV quality. And how you can spot overall build quality in new RVs, whether it’s good or bad!

Of course, there’s a lot of negative talk going on online about new RV build quality. Especially on social media.

And some of it is very exaggerated. But some of it is well deserved too!

And this is especially true in many high production RV brands. Some of the most popular brands on the market.

Because clearly they’re moving just too fast to be able to give any real attention on the production line to detail.

Watch my video about new RV quality

Table of Contents

Can You Really Get A Good Quality RV?

However, at the same time, some brands are still putting out a good product.

And generally, the more you pay for an RV, the better build quality you’ll usually see.

You’re probably going to see better building materials and construction methods. Also, you should see more attention to detail throughout the RV.

But here’s some good news. It is possible for even lower cost RVs to be built well too.

And in this article I’m going to show you how to spot overall build quality in any new RV.

Now there are some places in RVs that you just can’t access. Because you can’t dig up the floor or get into the walls or the RV’s ceiling.

The RV dealer is just not going to let you do that. But there are clues in things you can see both inside and outside the RV that will be helpful.

And these clues can show you a lot about the build quality of that particular RV. Even in areas that are hidden from plain sight.

What I’m Going To Show You About New RV Quality

Now I recently attended a regional RV show. And at this show there were lots of motorhomes there. One brand right after the other.

And I found lots of problems and issues with certain brands. While other brands are clearly doing a better job with overall build quality.

Of course, I make this kind of inspection at RV shows and dealer lots all the time.

So I feel like it’s going to be helpful to show you what I found in my inspection this time.

And the things you need to watch for as you’re going through new RVs yourself.

So let’s discuss six of the areas here that I feel you need to watch when looking at new RVs.

Areas that can give you important clues about new RV quality. And that includes RV trim, doors, walls, drawers, seals, and slide rooms.

The First Area To Inspect For New RV Quality

OK, let’s start with the RV’s trim. And here’s our first picture of shoddy trim work being done on the units that were at this RV show.

As you can see, here’s a piece of trim cover piece that’s put over two trim boards where they meet together at the top of the slide room.

A poorly place cover for the top of a slide room
A poorly place cover for the joint at the top of a slide room

And this piece is supposed to cover the spot where they butt together, to cover up that seam.

But as you can see, it’s not aligned correctly at all. In fact, it doesn’t even look like it’s attached on the left hand side of the piece.

Next up is a very similar piece of trim on a living room slide. And in this case, the trim board is sticking away from the wall by a couple of inches.

A poorly attached large slide room trim board
A poorly attached large slide room trim board

Now, there’s no way that anybody could have possibly missed this issue. It’s right in the RV’s living room as you walk by.

Next we’re looking at a trim piece on the baseboard. And clearly it’s sticking out and away from the wall about an inch or so.

A trim piece on the baseboard that is pulling away from the wall
A trim piece on the baseboard that is pulling away from the wall

Now once again, this was easy to spot. And it could have been fixed within less than a minute at the factory or by the dealer.

Next up, there’s two walls in the bathroom that are supposed to meet cleanly. But just look at the gap between them.

A huge gap in the seam where two walls meet
A huge gap in the seam where two walls meet

And the trim sealant is really poorly applied in this case too. It’s just awful work that was never addressed and fixed properly!

More Examples Of Poor RV Workmanship

This next photo is a case of ceiling trim, where the miter cuts come together. Just look at how poorly this is done!

New RV quality is poor when you see these kinds of trim problems
New RV quality is poor when you see these kinds of trim problems

It almost looks like water has gotten onto it. But there was no evidence of water intrusion at all. It was just a bad job of putting trim pieces together.

OK, now we’re going to look at the right side and the left side of a door.

And here’s a trim piece that goes on the floor of the RV, beside a sliding door.

When you look at this piece, it looks like it’s been held underwater or something.

A large floor trim piece that looks like it's water damaged
A large floor trim piece that looks like it’s water damaged

Notice that it’s stained on the top and bottom. Especially at the edges of the large trim piece.

And on the left side it’s been rubbed so badly that it’s down to the inside wood.

So the initial cover is just rubbed right off! But on the opposite side this is where things get really bad!

New RV quality problems like these are just inexcusable!
New RV quality problems like these are just inexcusable!

Because you can see a spot where they drilled a hole for an electrical cord to come up from below.

But they drilled the hole right into the trim piece as well as through the floor!

And not only that1 They also left all of the shavings from making the hole just sitting there on the floor.

Now once again, this is a new RV! How would you like to find this kind of work on your new RV?

New RV Quality – Doors

OK, now let’s take a look at some of the doors in another RV, and the way that they were installed.

And here is a couple of cabinet doors toward the ceiling on a new RV. Just look at how poorly they are aligned.

Badly aligned cabinet doors
Badly aligned cabinet doors

Clearly there is an uneven gap at the top and bottom. And that’s just unacceptable installation in a new RV.

Next up is a set of drawers. And if you look at the bottom, you can see where the gap should be for this drawer’s door.

A door to a drawer that has not been adjusted to fit properly
A door to a drawer that has not been adjusted to fit properly

But you can see that the gap is significantly bigger on the door above it. And it was very easy to spot this too. I didn’t have to look hard to find it!

Next up is a door that just never should have been ignored. This is on a spot leading into the bedroom on an RV.

A bedroom door that is completely off the hinges and broken
A bedroom door that is completely off the hinges and broken

And as you can see, the door is completely off of its hinges all together! And this is on a new RV being shown to customers at an RV show!

Finally here’s the back of another RV’s door. And you can see where the back panel has pulled completely away from the door.

New RV quality is poor when you see this kind of substandard construction
New RV quality is poor when you see this kind of substandard construction

About 3/8 to 1/2 an inch, all the way up and down the door. And again, this should never have been missed by the factory or the dealer!

Another Ares Where Overall Quality Can Be Tested

Now another place I like to check for overall quality in an RV are the drawers.

I often go from room to room, and just pull drawers out and take a look at them. First of all, I look at the side pieces to see how thick they are.

But I also look at the drawer’s slide mechanisms that bring them in and out. To see how strong and rigid they appear to be.

So in other words, I’m thinking “how strong is this drawer going to be for what someone is going to put into it”?

Well, here is one of the worst examples of drawers that I found at this RV show. Just take a look at how wobbly and loose it is in this video!

What About The RV’s Seals And Joints?

But another area where you can look to find out more about the quality of workmanship on any RV is to look at the RV’s seals and joints.

For instance, take a look at the sealant on the outside of this slide room.

Missing and sloppy sealant on an RV slide rom
Missing and sloppy sealant on an RV slide rom

There’s a area where the sealant is totally missing on this slide. And there’s a huge gap there instead.

Also, notice where the sealant has been applied, how sloppy it is. That’s just not acceptable!

Next up is another example around a slide room, and this is the slide molding.

Slide room sealant missing on the exterior moulding flange
Slide room sealant missing on the exterior moulding flange

If you look carefully, there’s absolutely no sealant in this particular area.

And the molding has pulled away from the side of the RV, exposing the paint edges.

Even More Examples Of Sealant Issues

Next up is a wheel well molding on a new RV. Now the problem may be kind of hard to see from the picture.

Missing sealant on a wheel well that is pulling away from the side of the RV
Missing sealant on a wheel well that is pulling away from the side of the RV

But this wheel well molding has pulled away from the side of the RV. Because there’s no sealant or adhesive holding it in place at all.

And all of the wheel wells on this motorhome were the same way. So clearly, it was just a poor job of overall build quality!

And finally, here’s a picture of sealant on a trim piece on the outside of an RV.

Exterior trim where sealant is sloppy and missing in places
Exterior trim where sealant is sloppy and missing in places

So as you can see, the sealant was just thrown on there in a very shoddy way. With no effort to clean it up and make it look presentable.

But now it’s time to go look inside the RV again, and a good area to look at is the bathroom.

And here is a spot where the bathroom wall meets the wall of the RV. As you can see, the wall is pulled completely away from the sealant.

New RV quality is poor when something like this goes unnoticed
New RV quality is poor when something like this goes unnoticed

Now nobody would have even seen this if I hadn’t been inspecting the RV’s seals.

But it’s pulled away almost 3/4 of an inch in this spot. Clearly, this should have gotten attention before it reached this spot in the show.

New RV Quality Compared In Slide Rooms

Now another area you could examine on an RV to give you an idea of the kind of quality you’re working with is the slide rooms.

And especially the slide mechanisms or systems that move the room in and out.

Now on this slide, what we’re looking at are Schwintek slide mechanisms.

The Schwintek slide system is for use on smaller slide rooms
The Schwintek slide system is for use on smaller slide rooms

And I have no problem with Schwintek as long as they’re used on a smaller type of slide room. For instance, a bedroom drawer set.

But what we’re seeing here is that Schwintek is being used on a very long and very heavy slide. And that is not what you want to see!

Because the use of this kind of slide system on this heavy room is setting it up for failure!

But in addition to that, I looked at the side of another slide, and you can see that the slide itself has not been aligned correctly.

Scraped paint on the sidewalls of a slide room due to poor adjustment at the factory
Scraped paint on the sidewalls of a slide room due to poor adjustment at the factory

Because it’s scraped off the paint on the slide room when it goes in and out.

Now, that is not quality workmanship, and it gives you a clue about the kind of work that’s gone on in this RV.

Don’t Forget About Inspecting The RV Walls

OK, the final area where you can look closely in an RV to get clues about the quality of workmanship are the walls.

So I go through and look at all of the walls in an RV very carefully in my inspections.

And here is a spot where the wallpaper is just pulling completely away from the wall.

New RV quality is clearly not good when this kind of obvious problem is found
New RV quality is clearly not good when this kind of obvious problem is found

Apparently, nobody seems to have done anything to hold it in place. And that is another indication of poor overall build quality!

A Common Mistake Made By Many RV Builders

Next up is something I see a lot in RVs made by some high production brands.

Since the assembly line is moving so fast, they really don’t have time to give any attention to detail.

So when they attach something to the wall, they often wrinkle the wallpaper or the wall board covering.

Wrinkled wall board covering due to hurried and rushed installation
Wrinkled wall board covering due to hurried and rushed installation

And unfortunately, they see no need to straighten it out. So it goes out to the dealer who also doesn’t fix it, and it just looks awful!

And finally, here is where two walls have met together inside an RV.

Another new RV quality snafu where two walls meet inside the RV
Another new RV quality snafu where two walls meet inside the RV

Clearly the seam has resulted in the wallpaper or wall board covering on one side being completely wrinkled out of shape, and pulled away.

And that is just one more example of workmanship that is totally unacceptable! Especially when it is a new RV at an RV show!

Are These All The Problems I Found At This RV Show?

Well as you can see, I found a lot of problems in new RVs at this RV show. There was no shortage of them.

But let me emphasize something else. There are lots more examples of poor quality that I found on that RV show visit.

I just couldn’t put everything in one video. Otherwise, it would have been an extremely long video to watch!

But let me also emphasize one more thing. And that is that these examples were not collected over a long period of time.

No, all of these examples were found in one RV show, and in one day as well.

A Very Important Piece Of Advice About New RV Quality

Now I’m the first person to admit that this kind of RV inspection is not perfect. But here’s what I believe.

I think it’s very reasonable to assume that if what you can see isn’t done right, then most likely what you can’t see is the same or even much worse.

And the more problems that you see in an RV, or that you’re noticing as a trend in an RV brand, it’s indicating worse build quality overall.

Of course, consistency is a challenge for any RV brand, no matter how good they are. It’s something that assembly lines deal with regularly.

And you’re going to find small obvious issues and problems even in the better RV brands.

However, here’s what I think. I have found that issues and problems are fewer and smaller in the better RV brands!

Are There Some RV Brands That Actually Build A Good RV?

Now let me give you an example. Because at this same RV show there were lots of motorhome brands parked next to one another.

And that includes Newmar RVs. Also, if you have followed my online content for a while, you know that I’m a believer in Newmar build quality.

So going through the Newmar motorhomes at the same RV show, I could not find hardly any issues in some of their coaches.

And in others, I found maybe one or two small issues. But nothing major, and certainly nothing like what I have shown you so far.

So clearly, there is a difference in overall build quality from some brands. And some just know how to consistently turn out a better product overall.

Can You Use This Advice To Spot New RV Build Quality?

Now the more brands that you see, the more RVs you go through, the better picture you’re going to get of the whole RV industry.

And you’ll get a good feel for which brands are doing a good job, and which brands are not.

Of course, what I’m telling you and showing you, is going to take a lot of time and effort to put into practice on your own.

It means you’re going to have to travel a lot in order to be able to see a lot of RVs.

And it takes a lot of time to compare all of the RV brands out there. So what if you don’t have that kind of time?

Well, I’ve got a way that you can save all of that effort, time and expense.

How To Easily And Quickly Know Which RV Brands Are The Best

Because I’ve created RV buying guide books for categories like the Class A, B, B+, C, and Super C RVs. Also, fifth wheels and travel trailers too.

Just click here or on the image below to find out more about them.

Best brands RV guidebooks

And these “best brands” guide books will tell you what brands are building better RVs.

The ones that are exhibiting better overall build quality. Also which ones are providing good customer service, and have better resale value.

That way, you can just focus on the good brands as an RV buyer. And you don’t have to waste a lot of time trying to figure it all out on your own.

And it is true that buying a better built RV usually means that you’re going to get better results from owning that RV.

Most likely you’re going to be happier with it. And it’s going to last longer if you maintain it along the way.

Then use that guidebook along with my new RV buying guide to get the best results. Click here or on the image below to find out more about it.

My new RV buying guide

This buying guide will help you find the right RV at the right price, and make sure that it’s in fully functional condition.

And show you how to avoid all the frustration that so many RV buyers experience in the buying process!

Now here’s one last point that I want to remind you about though.

Conclusion

Always get any RV you buy, whether it’s new or used, inspected by a certified NRVIA RV inspector.

It’s your best defense against getting a poorly built new RV with problems!

So hopefully this article has been helpful for you as an RV buyer. To help you learn how to spot the better built new RVs.

Have safe and happy RV travels!