Are ALL Rv's a Pile Of $h!t? Or Are We Just Cursed? 

Why do you continue to buy new rv’s? Why not purchase a top quality previously owned unit that has had the bugs worked out? I have had excellent results purchasing in this manner.

Yep, I have had multiple RV's. If you are not a do it yourself kind of person you will be miserable owing a RV. Dont care which brand, they all have issues and you are better off doing your own fixes. Good job. Now you better go check out the other side of the slide. :)

I've had travel trailers since 1972. I would never buy a trailer with slides. The trailer loses a lot of strength when they cut that big hole in the wall for the slide.

I'm of the opinion of keeping things simple. No need for all of these slides. They will all fail eventually. Just get a travel trailer or try to find a fifth wheel with no slides. Remember your camping , You don't need a condo on wheels. If you want the luxuries of home, stay home.

I fix my own RV as well. I agree with you, I can't imagine owing an RV if you're not handy and self sufficient to fix most things.

Honestly, if you truly want to know what you're getting, schedule a time to tour the RV facility and spend a week there while they build your entire RV all the way down the line. Would be a great opportunity for you to film some content and see specifically where gaps might be.

Yes and Yes! You just have set your expectations to high😳

Greg....your expectations are not set too high. As a retired GC and I'm sure you can relate to this, we are accustomed to producing quality for our clients and building ongoing relationships for repeat business. Something that the RV industry just can't wrap their heads around. Their attitude is "faster, cheaper, cheaper, faster, cheaper, cheaper, faster, faster....send it off to the dealer and let them worry about fixing the issues.

You’re sure making us feel better about our RV’s! Yes, the key is avoiding dealers and doing repairs yourself or hiring a good mobile RV tech. We learned early on that the most expensive and timely repairs are warranty repairs!

I think you know the answer to your question. We all should consider these units to be just loosely assembled kits consisting of substandard pieces. Throw away the parts that are garbage from the get-go and assemble the rest the way they should be assembled

Sorry about your luck! You never get a break. Hope the company will step up and fix this big problem. Have a good day!

I highly recommend looking into fiberglass RV’s, you will sacrifice in size some. But the longevity and quality and peace of mind are worth it. All you have to do is buff and wax once or twice a year and you’re good. You’d have almost never have a leak, or have to seal a roof as it’s two half’s mated together. I recommend looking at Oliver trailers. More budget friendly options are Bigfoot, escape, and then scamp and casita. I know many people including my boss and uncle that have put over 100k+ miles on their Oliver and casita, and not a single thing has ever broken.

My dog took a crap once, it looked like a castle ..he then used his paw to create a mote ..it was a GRAND DESIGN

We have the very same model only a 2023. Here are a couple of things you should look at before you load her up. 1) that really convenient upper shelf on the front (right behind the hitch) is held on by a few staples into the thin paneling behind it. Might want to reinforce that. I added 2 1x3 legs to it 15" each side of center and that seems to be holding. 2) the closet rods are just screwed into the same paneling with no backer boards. Might want to reinforce those as well. We also added a 33" wide cargo tray that makes the basement space very convenient also switched out the std battery for a 300Ahr lithium as the std deep cycle wouldn't last over a few hours. We are actually pretty happy with the rig and have over 10,000 miles on ours.

Shazam dude. You are not cursed. Your days of woe WILL get better soon. You're like me, I have that set of skills to fix anything wrong with my motorhome. If shiz hits the fan anymore, a you tuber has a 6 part series of videos on Riverstone 5th wheels. Each video has a section they cover at the factory from frame to finished product. The construction is out of this world, hands down the best on the market. Just watch the wall construction one and you will see. You guys keep the faith in being the great people you are. Always, Steve Robinson

Great job on the fix, it probably would have been at the dealership for a month for that and still not as good as what you did. It’s so sad that if we want a new rig this is what we have to put up with. Things need to change!

There is no aluminum flame???? Um…. Just put a Lowe’s shed on a trailer and call it a day.

Whew! Glad it was self-repairable. Good job!

That's a crazy failure, I don't think I've ever seen it happen before. Glad you have the skills to get it fixed though. Hopefully you don't have more problems! Our 382MBQ has been relatively trouble free so far.

I’ve been following your saga for a couple of months now, and when i saw what you replaced the G.D. with, i couldnt help but think, “man, this guys a glutton for punishment”. Best of luck to you! (p.s. Less. Is. More.)

Rvs are all built the same. What I think matters is, if you are lucky enough to have a rig built by people who at the time of construction, knew what they were doing and cared about their work.

Nice repair job on the wall. I rather tackle repairs myself (and do things with pride) versus having to bring it somewhere else. Then you really know it was fixed correctly (and likely better than originally). Also the time you would spend taking it somewhere and having a long wait for the service center to repair it you can instead be camping and enjoying the great American outdoors!

It's pretty well known that stick-built trailers...all of them...are poorly built and bound to give you trouble. There are high-quality campers on the market, but you'll have to sacrifice space. But isn't camping about getting outdoors? Oliver and Escape both have reputations for exceptional quality and customer service. I've had my Oliver for a year-and-a-half and have had zero issues. I just returned from a 3-week trip and the Oliver performed flawlessly. I'll take a trouble-free, frustration-free camping experience anytime over driving a massive RV down the road.

We bought a two year old Rockwood mini lite 4 years ago, and have had no major issues. Framed in aluminum tube, torsion suspension, etc. Hope you have better luck.

A couple of years ago I bought a 2005 bounder after trading in my 1995 bounder to get this one with slides. I’ve always worried about the slides breaking constantly worrying every time I put them in and out, but so far they’ve worked better than anything else on the truck so I guess it’s all and who builds them.

Park model brother…best move we’ve made.

I’ve been watching your saga for awhile. I’ve had a number of motorized units over the last 15 years. All sorts of issues. This time around we went about it differently and ordered an Airstream. No slides, floorplan they’ve been building for decades, etc. I know I’ll have some teething issues but here’s to hoping simpler leads to more reliable.

While I don’t wish poorly built RVs on anyone, Greg, you jumped into your last 2 rigs so quickly that you didn’t take the time to sit back and do proper due diligence on options. Your whole process was wam bam buy. Take a deep breath and figure out what to do.

That stinks Greg. Glad you fixed it and moved on. It’s my new motto with our 2024 GD. Nothing major so far but dealing with the dealership just gives me a headache so doing repairs myself!! Mark.

RV makers should be forced to hold the note if your camper goes to the shop more than 30 days, you stop paying the note, and you do not start back up until you have used it 14 nights to ensure repairs are done correctly.

Whats odd is on your 337 rls that didn't have all the lag bolts, made me wanna look at mine. My 2023 had lag bolts in all the holes.

Gonna start calling you *Fix It Felix*! 🙂

Thud, the sound of people cancelling their KZ orders because of your recent discovery 😮

Should have just rebuilt that entire slide with new (real) materials, fittings and motors. It's just a little box sitting on a wooden sheet for pete's sake. Use planed dimensional hardwood with proper joinery and Titebond III for a strong, stiff structural frame. Any metal fittings should be bronze (counter-sunk) through-bolts, not screws. One-inch marine fir plywood for the floor; wall structure rabbeted over the floor plate. Serious fiberglass-bonded 3/8-inch fir factory panels as your weather-envelope, epoxy sealed at the corners, and the frame cast into dado's in the weather panels. Get some double-pane, 1/4-inch tempered glaze, sealed Saint-Gobain SunBan drop-in window units with SuperSpacer and argon fill, covered with surface-sputtered reflective metal coating. Double the wall thickness and put in some rock-wool insulation too, don't you get temperature extremes there? Run a serious rack-and-pinion drive (pair) under the floor plate, driven by a 3-phase AC induction motor/VFD or hydraulic motor; or some form of long-throw hydraulic ram and rail system. Then your slide won't break anymore, sir.

Don't feel too confident, the rest of your RV is built that way. It'll just be a matter of time before the low grade/knot filled lumber they used snaps apart.

They run a 3/8 lag screw 1-1/2” from the end of a pos 2x2. What could possibly go wrong?

My advice, open the slides, park it, don't drive it anywhere, and it probably wont fall apart on you.

How about before you buy a unit, you have a qualified rv inspector look it over for potential issues! Then use that info to better negotiate a price that may include potential repairs! Be smart when buying any RV.

I hear riverstones are pretty solid!

I like the fact you have the skills to fix issues that comes with owning an Rv. I’m looking to upgrade to full time RVing so I’m researching the best one for our Rv aspirations. I’m really impressed with Outdoors RV. If you get a chance check out their manufacturing videos on their website.

I hope,(and assume you did), you made sure that those screws you put into that 1x1 1/4 wood at the base of your slide out wall do not protrude below the slideout floor, as that could tear up your floor. Good idea to change the channel name. "Cursed with the Carson's." Or might I suggest a few "Cussing with the Carson's"(I don't recall you ever cursing), or how about "Fixing your RV like it should have been built in the first place". 😅. You definitely have the necessary skill set to own a RV, that's for sure. Safe travels

The Fix might be more valuable than the other issues. Your fixes may be a good route for the channel. My husband is like you...when he fixes things...its better than Fort Knox.

I wonder what the employee turn over rate is like in these Rv assembly lines !

I was really hoping you would have better luck with KZ, thankfully you posses the skills! I now think all new RV's are junk!! I will be following along! Like always!

What is the over/under on the next NDA and channel wipe?

And Kz says their GOLD campers are built for FULL TIME LIVING LOL

I’d send them a $4k bill.😂

Skills pays the bills brother

ohh boy, if you tought GD were bad quality, KZ is a whole nother level, and customer service support is virtually non existant. good luck

Why are YOU doing this????? You could void the warranty by doing this.

That rather thin wood piece is probably strong enough (and saves weight) but nothing driven through it at less than 6 inches of an end should be fitted in a predrilled hole. A bolt, washers on each side and a Nylok nut provide ample holding power where needed.

Well that wasn’t impressively built. Nice job on the repair. Might pay to double check the slide is centered in the opening.

I cannot believe this happened to you again. I feel so sorry for you! Do the repairs you did void your warranty?

You should have bought a Flagstaff or Rockwood.

First - to answer your specific question, yes, you are cursed, lol. But also, great job! Based on our decade of RV experience, I have learned that if you can fix it yourself, DO IT! I hate to say this, but if someone is unable to perform at least basic maintenance, plumbing, electrical, and structural work, they should not own an RV. You will need to be able to perform most of these repairs yourself, and your RV will be better built in those areas you repair yourself, plus you will know how it's put together if you have any other issues moving forward. Waiting on a dealer or relying on a warranty is not a viable plan for most people, because you will be at the mercy of their schedules, and you will be without your rig for much of the time waiting for those repairs. I have lost track of the repairs I have performed on our RVs over the years (including an expensive diesel pusher). I've seen so many people freak out and run to the dealer or to their insurance company for what amount to relatively minor issues, most of which can be fixed in an hour or so. Just fix it!

Boy im in the market for a new 5th wheel and im second guessing what to buy and how to over come the fear of having the troubles you are having good luck.

Liz Amazing YT channel did a video on some RV folks she can recommend based on owner reviews and visits to the manufacturers. It seems the majority of the issues, along with poor workmanship are the slides. Lastly, it is pure BS that you pay this kind of money for these things and then you have to fix their crap.

Having to do that i would check the other slide walls for movement

Sorry that happened too you Greg! I’m like you, then not much I can’t fix on an RV. If I can be a Diesel mechanic on a tour bus, RVs are no problem.

Ha! Pre-Covid-built Solitude and today I repaired another cold weld on the Lippert frame, rebuilt another cabinet that the bottom fell out of, and put up new backsplash for the coffee bar because the 4 incomplete vertical beads of what looks like Elmer's glue came unbonded... Pitiful construction and there's always something to repair!

There you go Greg, now it's better than new.

I'm with you, as much as you would like to make them pay to fix it, sometimes it's just not worth the hassle. Fix it yourself and be done with it.

I’ve never seen a slide out, framed out in wood usually it’s aluminum, but I haven’t seen them all either

You need to build your own RV, Greg! We are SO sorry this is happening!!

It seems the more you spend, the less you get. Watching your channel has made me and the wife keep out 38 ft 2018 keystone Laredo lol. We have had small stuff go wrong but nothing major so far so we will just keep her for a while longer. Good luck with your ventures.

Wood frame, good lord. My fiver has no wood in the framing, all welded alum and 100% hydraulic slides. Go get a Riverstone or better yet a custom New Horizon and be done with it. Might as well spend some of that GC money, you can't take it with you.

Good job! Ive done so many diy projects on my RV, I lost count😅. You gotta laugh or you just may cry😢.

Sorry to hear all of the bad luck u been having. I have a 22’ camper and we are only weekend warriors but I would like one with a slide out for more room but with all the trouble people have I’ll probably pass but hopefully your luck changes.

You just voided your warranty 😢 As one of your other viewer's said. It pays to be able to do your own repairs. Im glad for your repair, but I was worry at the start of the video. Enjoy!

WOW just Wow

I love our KZ382, we have had our issues however electric and construction skills are important.

When I purchased my camper trailer, I knew nothing about slides. Just by dumb luck, I purchased one without a slide. Subsequently I have seen and read countless stories of slide misery. I won’t ever purchase a camper with a slide.

Yeah I am of the mind set you need to build your own too. Have you ever seen Wayz A lot or Wayz less. That guy did a great job.

Not sure if you have thought about just going to Brinkley, or Riverstone, JD just did a great series on their brand. Not to many would do what they did for JD.

Guys, We suggested to you prior to your current purchase to look at Overland Expedition Vehicles such as Global Expedition or similar. Yes they cost more, but they will last you a lifetime as they are built like tanks. Todays typical RV's are made by monkeys with screw guns, they are slapped together and are built to fail. What you guys are experiencing is just par for the course with RV's. It is fortunate that you have the skill set to tackle gremlins that appear, but most folks don't. Just take a quick gander at the Overland Vehicle niche, you will not be disappointed. Good luck to you, safe travels and happy trails. Cheers.

Man I feel your pain!! Buy a house in Florida....forget the RV thing!

Why not just buy a Park model, set it up in your spot in Arizona, and haul all your toys and equipment on a flat bed trailer and go and and buy a regular camper for trips around your area. It seems to be a better solution to your problem. Seems all fifth wheel rigs are just junk

Greg, I've owned RVs since 1970. My first 2 RVs were the best ones. A 1976 Holiday Rambler, then a 1973 Fleetwood Terri travel trailer. Since then the industry has been in decline. Over the last 10+ years many notable manufacturers have been bought out by Equity Corporations and the quality counties to decline. In my opinion, the only higher quality units are made by family or privately owned factory direct companies like Oliver, Luxe, SpaceCraft, Brinkley and Pebble one of the new all electric RVs. Airstream, Tiffin, DRV and Heartland are now owned by Thor. Fleetwood, American Coach, Holiday Rambler, Lance and Renegade are owned by the REV Group. This corporate buy out is also effecting campgrounds. The bottom line for me is the industry has gone to hell in a hand basket.

Just keep on trucking my friend you have skills like me we can all most fix pretty much anything . I’m on my 3rd 5th wheel. The one I have now is cheapest bought new it’s a 2021 Cherokee wolf pack toy hauler and what’s funny is it’s been pretty much trouble free . We just got back from 6,000 mile trip around the country and not one issue with it lol probably just jinx myself.

I don’t think you’re cursed with bad luck. I do think your expectations of rv construction isn’t realistic. They are ALL junk. Just gotta keep repairing them an expect it won’t be the last repair. Like most RVs it’s built on a Lippert frame! Hope you don’t experience any serious issues but…it is an RV regardless of brand 🙄 Personally I would have sister’d that split plate that you scabbed a piece in with another full length board affixed on top. Wishing you better luck!

Aren’t most modern RVs, aluminum framed with laminated walls, including the slides?

The way it split the bottom sill, it may be out of adjustment or off track.

We owned a kkz once it was a not very well built poor quality lumber we structural issue and was a fight to get them to take responsibility and repair it need less to say we got rid of that camper . I understand that things come loose and you need to maintain them but major structural things should not happen

plenty more of that yet to come

We’ve always had motorhomes, but if we was to get a pull behind it would be an Oliver travel trailer, no slides, all fiberglass inside and out. Yep they are big buck but to me the way the construction is of them it eliminates a lot of problems.

I would have added another bottom piece and a middle brace under the window.

Wow the build of that slide wall is like a cheap stick and tin trailer…. I’d get a Montana or a Solitude. I’ve been on factory tours for both and they are built way better.

Werent those screws too large and long for the purpose they were used for ?

There are many reasons that we are going with a Super C built by a local excursion camper maker. We had certain specs in mind, which includes no slides and no propane. I would not want to buy a typical RV, even a purported top end item. It seems that getting decent QC for less than $1.5 Million is not a fantasy, but a delusion.

Contact KZ and link your video and ask them to reimburse you for your labor! Maybe they will. I don't understand their slideout wall construction, I thought every one of the manufacturers was using aluminum tubing for all the walls including the slideouts. I just picked up a used 2005 Alpenlite 27' 5er for use as a hunting camper and the slideout roof had a 1" belly in the roof, after my second attempt at raising the belly I ended up installing an adjustable 1.25 square tube column with an adjustment feature on top of the dinnette backrest to solve the issue. I spent about a week fixing little things to make the trailer the way I want it and you are correct, having the skill sets to make your own repairs is a must.

I’m glad you got it fixed. Here’s a thought, you need to start building RVs. You would build them as solid as a rock and you would put most of the poorly built manufacturers out of business business.

The only quality trailers are the fully fiberglass ones. But they are small

I’ve only been into RVs for a few years but it looks to me like physics is catching up. These units are just TOO BIG TOO UNDER ENGINEERED AND TOO MUCH TROUBLE. If you want a house buy a house. If you want to travel keep it simple and stop expecting too much from shysters whose morals don’t exist.

I personally would be afraid to to do the work even though you are well qualified. What about the warranty,are you not avoiding it?

great job, might want to add some screws to the other side

This is why a laugh when they say screwing a lag bolt into a block of wood is "structural" Doesn't take much pressure to split this whitewood as is demonstrated in this video. I would have felt a lot better to see hex bolts, large flat washers, and nylon lock nuts.

What happened to the new 2nd Grand Design pulled away?

For a high $ 5th wheel thats some cheap construction. Hard to believe they don’t use a fully laminated slide box. That’s how our first entry level $20k travel trailer was built.

Nice job!!!!

Carson’s RV Repair!