New to campers and surprised by the high prices. How come a camper is half the cost of a car?

[Buddha.]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

 

[billiebob]

I do not see myself traveling from Achorage to Ushoaia , to Europe and Australia using one of these

Completely missing the point.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Buddha,
no truer words were ever spoken, amazing isn't it.

 

[Victorian]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

That's extremely sad. I hear the same from contacts in this industry . They all know they are producing garbage.

 

[jadmt]

I paid as much ($6400) for my used GFC as I did for my new 1978 Ford F150 4x4 in 1977.....

 

[MM4Overland]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

well that is disturbing ....
but not surprising...
I am redoing a bathroom and the contractors who did this cut so many corners that I am afraid to let anybody else working in my house
I would rather do my homework, read codes standards and anything else, watch youtobe videos and do it myself as much as I can.

found debris and concrete under the bathtub, the flor was still open, no concrete or insulation, just filled with dirth
clean outsburried in the wall and left inaccessible, drywall installed in a chaotic way, wall sheets not supporting the ceiling, old 60 years drywall left in place and used as shim, supply pipes run below joists in the basement and just above the ceiling drywall (they used shims to move the drywall lower to make 1/2" inch room for copper pipes ...and I could go on and on here but it would be way off topic

 

[MM4Overland]

MM40 , you're planning around the world trip in a Tacoma with a pop-up camper?
You may consider a larger truck. Highest payload for any Tacoma is 1600 lbs (not sure what configuration). After your pop-up install won't leave much payload for beer and potato chips ?
Will be a fun adventure though.

Well I am seeing lots of these so not sure why it is not doable
See the video posted in the previous page
We like travel light anyway,
I might chose a track that can be registered in Europe because that is where I am going to retire.
Hilux ? Land Rover ? There is a grizzlynbear youtobe channel with a slide in pop up on a land rover defender... I doubt that Tacoma is far beyond that one

 

[Christian P.]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

Scary but not surprising.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

I guess it would be hard to know but have you seen exceptions? Maybe small custom builders or supposedly higher quality brands?

 

[Buddha.]

I guess it would be hard to know but have you seen exceptions? Maybe small custom builders or supposedly higher quality brands?

We sell forest river products so that’s the only ones I see new. FR has many different lines, some are better than others but just because it’s big and expensive doesn’t mean it’s better. The little r-pods and e-pros seem relatively good, and I’m told the Flagstaff are real nice. The other brands I see coming in used seem about the same.
I worked on a lance trailer once that seemed better. Everything seemed more solid, the wall didn’t move when you flipped the light switch etc. You’re gonna pay twice as much for a Lance though, otherwise I’d have one.
We also sell Yeti ice fishing houses. They’re a lot different than the made in Indiana trailers and they can be used for summer camping. They seem to be built pretty solid but the floor plans aren’t gonna work for everyone.

 

[RJ Howell]

A welder or farmer won't blink an eye at $10k for a flatbed.

I'm still a blinking! $300 of material and two days of time. Good money if someone is dumb enough to pay it. I built mine!

 

[RJ Howell]

I’ve been an RV tech for three months now. 20k dollar trailers are built like crap. 80k dollar trailers are built like crap, but they’ll give you a 20 year loan. Of course the trailer won’t last 20 years…
I spend 90% of my time fixing new trailers that the factory messed up, and they know they messed it up they just don’t care.
They’ve got literal meth addicts making these things now, they can’t get enough people to keep up with demand.
Exterior doors an inch out of square so there’s no chance they’ll stay closed on the highway. Electrical wires routed around exhaust pipe so the ground out and blow fuses. Rubber LP lines mounted against electrical breaker studs so leaks will soon develop.
Half these things have a water or LP leak in the plumbing, brand new.

I still belong to a forum of a trailer I once owned. They are still talking about replacing 'factory' suspension on new purchases because of failure that are known to exist. Yet folks keep on buying... Replacing a suspension on a under-built frame really doesn't cure the issue at hand.
I just hope the few out there that do build a quality unit survive all this BS! Would be a shame to lose them!

 

[MobileCabin]

I guess it would be hard to know but have you seen exceptions? Maybe small custom builders or supposedly higher quality brands?

Our first rv is an airstream luggable. Many people assume it represents quality. They are wrong. Just read the airforum to notice the multi-year discussions on corrosion, cabinets falling off the walls, separation from frame, rediculous electrical layouts and so on. This is from many years of dealing with the same poor design and lack of quality manufacturing?

Some smaller builders appear to have the capability and willingness to build quality from the start like Bowlus, but at a price.

Sent from my KFKAWI using Tapatalk

 

[tacollie]

I'm still a blinking! $300 of material and two days of time. Good money if someone is dumb enough to ay it. I built mine!

What year? Even 5 years ago you couldn't build a flatbed with boxes out of steel for $300. Aluminum will be cost to $2k+.

My brother is a pipeline welder. He could have built his bed for less than what he paid but he would rather be working making money. What's $10k for a flatbed on the back of a $80k truck.

My uncle and cousin farm almost 2000 acres. What's $10k on the back of your truck when a combine is $385k? They spend six figures annually on seed and fertilizer.

My truck is for recreation so I have a hard time swallowing the that much money for a flatbed. I'll still be over $2k in materials. I also don't need my truck for work so it can sit for a month if need be. Plus the money I have can go to the KTM fund ?

 

[john61ct]

So I wonder if OP still thinks the same way?