As an X22 owner, thought I'd provide some insight that may be helpful to others. We wanted the ability to venture off road and be off grid and ordered the X22. We did so knowing there were certain risks. 1. This is a relatively new concept so we not expecting a perfect layout or design which is typically refined for mass production. Imperial does not mass produce these specialty trailers and we were looking for a well built off road tank that perhaps lacked refinements of more polished models. 2. The RV industry as a whole, not to mention other industries, were suffering from supply chain issues, labor shortages and quality control due to the pandemic.
Our model is the 2022 X22 W+. Our mods include extra batteries, back up camera, extra water tank, and electric sway system. We were pleased that the RV was pretty much loaded already so the extra costs were not a big factor.
There are 3 major players. First is the manufacturer. Next is the dealer. Last are the 3rd party supplies of such things as toilet, sinks, refrigerator, gauges, alarms etc. that the manufacturer installs. for purposes of my analysis the build of the actual trailer and the installation of third party products are the manufacturers responsibility. The dealer is the middle man and the point person to assist you with the sale and after sale service and in our case the ones who provided some of the modifications. A good dealer should be able to liasse between the manufacturer and third party supplies for the customer.
Here is my feedback concerning each:
1. Imperial - The trailer came built like a tank. Wiring was clean, organized and good. The trailer has a simplicity to it and is well constructed. Going through the trailer we found a few self tapping sheet metal screws on the right wheel well that weren't tighten all the way. Roof has no bubbles, water proofing seems excellent, and I only found a quarter inch of caulking I would like to apply near the wires for the awning. There are some wire holes from the bottom that were will foam spray. The intake for the water tank is about 1/2 inch too high meaning you have a couple of gallons that the intake won't reach. In summary, the construction and installation are good.
2. Dealer - RV's of America. You may have seen their online presence and videos and we ordered directly through ROA. The before sale service I was not that impressed to be honest. I dropped in on them unexpectedly without an appointment and while they accommodated me and gave me a tour of their products, it wasn't very salesy. They were very honest about flaws of the various models and very matter of a fact and engineer like. They told me it would be 2.5 - 3.5 months until the trailer would be delivered so I expected a few months longer. However, everything they told me was exactly right. Trailer came in on schedule and our mods were done. I even called to double check it would be ready and was told, "if it is on our schedule for that date it will be done by that date." I was late picking it up and showed up around 5 pm when I expected everyone to rush and want to go home. Instead I got an incredible walk through, they were in no rush to get me out, and everyone from the tech guys, to the sales people, to the finance guy, etc. came out to meet us. I think what struck me most was at the end of the presentation, I was given a very sincere thank you and invitation for our family to become part of ROA's extended family if you will. I will get into specific issues in a bit, but suffice it to say I am very impressed with ROA's "after sale" service. These are good family oriented people and not a quick sale operation. In fact, I was told that a new person is being hired to specifically coordinate trips for their customers and you don't do that unless you are sincere in trying to build solid relationships with your customers.
3. Third party suppliers. We have had a few issues with the trailer. Specifically, our propane sensor and bathroom fan have failed and are being replaced. Our battery monitor wasn't working correctly but after unplugging the unit it fired up and has worked fine. Our refrigerator originally would not cool. Turns out their was a loose connection that we snugged up and it works great. The water level gauge is not accurate and reads 1/3 when it is empty. ROA has a specific tech line and i have received outstanding support. ROA will approach the manufacturer, deal with the third party suppliers for you and try to resolve any problems that might arise. In summary, there are some quality control issues with some of the third party suppliers as mentioned above and I believe it is important to distinguish this from the manufacturer and the dealer.
Next post I'll provide my thoughts on the performance of the trailer.