1st time Dutchmen owners, 2013 Rubicon 2900

[seventhfire]

My wife and I are about a week away from picking up our 1st TH, a 2013 Dutchmen Rubicon 2900.
As mentioned this is our 1st RV purchasing experence so about the only thing we have to compare it to would be when purchasing a new car/truck.

We researched RV's quite a bit and we settled on Dutchmen not because they were reported as the best but for floor-plan options, reported reliability, and great Internet online purchase support. and what seemed like best bang for the buck.

We found out the other day there is a delay in the pick up of our TH because it arrived at the dealer with "A few minor issues"

I was told by the dealer they had to order a new decal which was torn when the unit arrived and they needed to order a new bedspread and replace a new piece of ceiling batten. Needless to say this was a bit disappointing!

We have since pressed for more detailed information on the issues so as to have any documentation and keep track of any possible future issues.

I'm not sure how the dealers approach would have been as far as coming forward with this information if I had not asked.

Our TH had been held up for delivery for over a week and I had not heard anything so I called. That was when I found out about the problems. (didn't make the situation any better for sure)

So my question to the forum is "Does this seem to be the norm when new units arrive from the factories?"

Is it an illusion to think the Car & Truck manufacturers have a better quality control process then what seems to be found in the RV Industry?

Or is it the car & truck manufactures are better at keeping this lack of quality control a secret...

By the way. About 30 mins after sending a very clear email to both our Internet sales team and the Sales manager at the RV dealer site I received a call from one of the Internet sales team and I was assured they would have any and all issues resolved ASAP and would be in touch with me by EOB the next Monday.

We'll keep you posted on how our purchase event turns out.

[lmsteck]

It's pretty normal to find little things during you "shakedown" trip. We had a list of 14 things that the dealer fixed under warranty. We chose to upgrade our suspension and tires and have had no major issues. We've had our trailer for 2 years.

[BigBoyjack b]

Sounds like the dealer is being very conscientious to make sure your unit is in good shape for initial delivery. I would guess from your email that you are a detail minded person who is going to be really going over the unit and I am sure the dealer has picked this up in your negotiations. I would rather have them do this now then let you pick it up and hassle with having to take it back real soon after delivery. Sounds like their communications could be a bit better but rest assured, you will have other issues crop up. And no, travel trailer quality control is not even close to being as good as the auto industry. It is okay but not anywhere near what we are seeing in new vehicles today.

Enjoy your new Dutchmen. We sure like ours and can't wait for the snow to melt!

[seventhfire]

Thanks much for the comments. Some what comforting knowing our purchase process seems to match what others have found. Also very true, better to find out these issues now and have them taking care of rather then discover them on the day of our inspection and pickup.

[BigBoyjack b]

My relatively brief experience has been most RV owners love to tinker, maintain, install optional items and generally dote on their travel trailer, 5'ver or whatever unit of preference. It is fun and there is lots of information available on the various RV blogs and of course, this one is good for our Dutchmen products. If you don't already have one, get a good, comprehensive PDI list and arrange a thorough pre-delivery session with the dealer to go over everything about which you have questions. Ours was great and helped tremendously.

Enjoy! We have loved decorating, upgrading, equipping and generally tinkering with our new Kodiak and can't wait to get back on the road!

[dlbeck]

First time poster and first time Dutchmen owner. Thanks for the post Larry. We just ordered a Kodiak 240 BHSL that is supposed to arrive in 4 weeks so its good to know what to expect. Where is a good source to get an inspection list?

Thanks

David

[lmsteck]

and welcome to the forum David!

[BigBoyjack b]

Here is one of the many I found that was the most comprehensive: RV Inspection Checklist. Otherwise I just googled RV inspection and found numerous sources some better than others of course. Happy searching!

[Nana & Poppy]

Sunline Coach Owner's Club - View Single Post - Check List for New Sunline Buyers

here is another....many of them around!

[LindaH]

Both checklists are fantastic... I just wish I had them last Friday when we picked ours up! We were so excited that a lot of the listed items never crossed our minds. Congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the RV way of life.

[OldOneTwo]

By all means use the checklist and take your time. Make sure you have a good understanding of how things operate. The owners manuals are not has comprhensive as they used to be. Good thing there are forums like this one.
Autos are usually delivered my train and/or truck. Trailers are towed from manufacturers, so are subject to road conditions of all types.

Good luck on your new purchase.

[dlbeck]

Thanks for all the tips. I got one printed off and am ready to go. Getting through that checklist will take some time but well worth it. Thanks.

[Texastbird]

Don't let them rush you through your inspection. Make sure that you understand how everything is supposed to work and in fact does work. If they say "they're all like that." or "That's normal for that model." it should raise a red flag, and you should do some more investigation before accepting that unit. Also inspect the roof as closely as the interior. This is the time to make sure it is constructed properly and no nails are sticking up or the roof material is not laid smoothly. Remember, its your money, and stand your ground. We just got back from the Houston RV show, and believe me, there are plenty of RVs out there if the one you are inspecting falls short of your expectations. On the other hand I hope everything goes smoothly and it will be a great experience for you. The TT might not be perfect when you inspect it, but make sure that any deficiencies are correctable and not something structural that would be hard or impossible to fix.

[jim]

If its a new dutchman, do yourself a big faver find your way to the back of the fuse and braker panel, Why you say well we just got our 2012 36ft epic back from the shop three pages of repairs, no joke. The braker panel had every conection, was loose the nuts were almost falling off, it caused lots of problems, micrewave gon,vacum gon twice,cd player cought fire, one tv smoking,converter gon twice. March 2013 we will have had it for one year, and only able to use it twice. Moral of the story is go through it with a fine tooth come, ps dont go to camping world for repairs they hadd ours for three months, nothing worked when we got it back. GOOD LUCK