Two of the biggest issues, for me, have been horrific non-standardized wiring and poor fastener usage.
I can sympathize with this. I really, really despise the excessive use of self-tapping screws everywhere.
When done to automotive standards, not only will wiring be the same on each coach, it’ll also be a lot easier to find a problem...if one even occurs. When is the last time any of us have had a wiring/electronic problem with our cars/trucks in the last 7 model years? I’ve had about 10 very sophisticated cars and trucks since 2010 and have had ZERO Issues. If Ford, Chevy, BMW, and Mercedes can do it...why can’t the RV industry?
Because Ford, GM, BMW, Mercedes and VW sell hundreds of thousands of cars per year, just in the US. The RV industry as a whole sells maybe 100,000 units per year combined, of which Class A Motorhomes are maybe only a few percent. For Newmar or any other company to invest in the kinds of tooling and resources necessary to build RVs to standards of automotive vehicles, your RV would cost a lot, lot more. The automotive industry is able to do this because of their economies of scale. It’s much easier to lower the tooling cost per unit to a palatable number when you’re selling 12,000 units/month of just a single model in your lineup. Don’t forget that whenever they do a model refresh in the automotive industry, some of the tooling has to be scrapped and they have to reinvest in new tooling. So are you willing to pay 40%-60% more for your RV?
As to the AV system, don’t get me started. But, most of the problems in the NEWMARS are caused because they have NO idea how to do it...SIMPLY.
I’m sure its not that they don’t know how to do it. It’s probably much more expensive, or they’ve not invested the time and resources to experimenting with it enough. Newmar in my opinion takes the same philosophy as Apple when it comes to RVs. To be clear upfront, I’m not comparing the quality of an Apple product to the quality of a Newmar product, I’m saying their philosophy when it comes to innovation seems similar and that philosophy is essentially “we don’t care about being first. we care about doing it better than everyone else”. Assuming that’s right, then 9/10 times that means your innovations will come later, when the kinks have been worked out and the product is ready for prime time. Speaking generically, many companies make the mistake of trying to be first to market and end up producing a dumpster fire of a product, often going under because of that rush to market.
You don’t just slap 4 TVs into a small space and patch them all together and then stuff a bunch of splinters and wires behind a cabinet and hope that they don’t have a problem.
Actually, you do because the market is willing to buy it that way. I get that you want more out of it. I think I lot of us, myself included would welcome some tech improvements but I’d also caution to be careful what you wish for. The KISS principal is real. Multiplex might eliminate a lot of wiring but it can also make troubleshooting much more difficult when there are problems, and lets not kid ourselves and assume there won’t be any problems.
I think the one thing Newmar could easily do here is just create some standard conduits throughout their units to make all of the wiring much more accessible. That would allow you to make whatever adjustments you want, pull wires, run new ones, etc. It could also have the benefit of standardizing the wiring and eliminating the excessive number of fasteners. IMO, if they make it easier for you to change then you can decide whether or not its important enough for you to put in the work and deal with the issues that ensue and at that point, if you don’t want to put in the work or pay someone else to, it can’t be that important to you.
The ridiculous issue with a hundred screws breaking or falling out...I’ll leave alone. Flat out unacceptable, but I can’t see how Entegras are constructed, so maybe they will have problems too.
Yeah, I don’t really have a counterpoint to this. They could do some things better here. Snap Rivets come to mind. Predrilled holes where needed with countersunk, stainless steel screws also seem better. I really, really do not like the excessive number of self-tapping screws used.
Yes, there ‘ARE’ certain things like Electronic Start ignitions that have mechanics jumping off bridges. However, our dashes ARE electronic, so why not make them have multiple capabilities and put nice, large monitors that are commensurate with the caliber of the competition? It doesn’t cost that much more.
This part I agree with wholeheartedly. A good, modern infotainment system is not hard, its not terribly expensive and there’s really not much of an excuse for the lackluster tech currently being installed in the dash, even on the high lines. It’s all pretty terrible when there are a lot of really good, off the shelf units that could be used instead and just plugged right in.
I guess I should stop. I know some people hate, or even fear, technology and I get it. But, I do enjoy learning the technology and making it WORK FOR ME. So, I put in the effort to do it right when I have the chance...and get mad when it’s done incorrectly to the point of turning people off, rather than help them.
As a software developer, I don’t fear technology. I embrace it - for the right use cases. I’m no fan of smart homes or Alexas as I think they make our society dumber, more lazy and they provide an avenue for corporations to gather private data about their customers. If you think that’s not happening, you are absolutely deluding yourself. I could go on an entire rant about this, but I am resisting the urge.
I’m all about learning technology too, that way I understand its risks and much of the technology I see doesn’t actually improve much in the grand scheme of things. But, if you do enjoy learning technology and making it work for you, then what better way to do that then to rip out the existing and put in the new, and work through the problems you encounter, posting here on this great forum all along the way.
