Owning a 2019 London Aire I would say the quality issues started long before Winne came along, maybe starting 2015-2016 time frame.
Actually, I think it goes even further back than 2015. (I had a new 2014 unit long ago).
A couple of points often overlooked.
1-There is a distinct difference (ie quality) from the Mahlon Newmar to the Miller Newmar and then the WG Newmar. WG for now, may just be an extension of miller newmar.
Mahlon built the company with his own hands. He worked on the floor among his workers. If you have built a business, you understand what that means. If I **recall** correctly, Mahlon worked at Holiday Rambler before purchasing a small unknown camper(towable) company which became newmar. Miller inherited the company. In fact, if you were around newmar during miller's years, you may have had noticed a card board cut of his head hanging over every department. “Perhaps” that was the extend of his involvement!! (or may be someone knows the reasons for that!!!).
I have come to know a few of the old timers who had worked with Mahlon back in HR. The 2008 was very rough. If I *recall* they had to let go of some 100 people. These employees are mainly amish/mennonite people. They are like 'extended' family. “Perhaps” that became the catalyst for the idea of selling the business not long after 2008. If you had been involved with selling a business, it is not something you plan in a year or two.
2- When talking about quality, it doesn't mean the whole thing is crap. Though, some truly are. If yours is all good, count your blessing. Some of the old employees from Mahlon years, are still there. The knowledge, is still there. However, when the numbers(quantity) becomes the priority, quality is compromised. That could mean, when they have to rush units out, they just decide to let service deal with the short comings later on, as warranty (do you know how far service is backed up for warranty work?). Or perhaps when there is new employee on the production line, they just don't get trained and evaluated to the same standards as mahlon newmar did. Have you ever looked at older newmars? If they are maintained well enough, they are much better quality than some of the newer ones. I actually met one of mahlon's sibling a few years back at a campground in Ohio. He had an older (early 200s?) MADP It was absolutely solid. I thought perhaps because he is related, his MADP was exceptional. However, He complained, he does not get any special treatments at newmar.
From the ball joint issue, the front axle low weight, HWH FWS (2016-2017), passive FL tag (16, 17), fake leather seat (how many years?), windows falling(?), just to name a FEW!!!! These issues and others (many others) WERE FULLY KNOWN To miller and his team. However, they were ignored just to make the numbers. When selling a business, numbers do the talking.
These are some of the issues that lead to lack of quality, some worse than others.
A couple more points;
I don't mean no disrespect to any one, however, for me, who is not very verse in every aspect of a MH, yes they can be complex. However, they are not COMPLEX to people who have been doing this for half a century!!!! not only that, they have also been at the fore front of new innovations, perhaps more so during Mahlon years.
The previous generation (boomers parents, G parents) sent men to the moon and back, literally in a tin can! Let me remind folks, the smart phone most of us have, has more computing power than what they had in that tin can, trying to find their way in the darkness for some 200K miles!! (remember, no GPS) Making a MH after 50 years of experience is not a question of complexity. It is more of a dollars and cents. Of course, integrity, for some people has a higher value. IMO, the name newmar and quality is often confused with the original Mahlon Newmar. Now, one can argue, newmar is much better than any other. This is no excuse, for what it can and should be.
Now then to the last point and the finance issue. This take over thing is an absolute crap. For every one, except the finance (bank) people. From the 80s take overs, acquisitions, mergers, buyouts, and all thru the 90's shipping jobs overseas and becoming a finance economy is an absolute crap. Again, No disrespect to anyone, I understand nowadays finance is the way of making money, unlike yesteryear's of creating/building functional and worthwhile products. Though, the returns may have been smaller than the finance economy for the investors class. However, the production economy benefited a much larger segment of the socity. If you have any doubts, just look at the $30T debt, which is on all of us. Just the household/consumer debt went UP by $1T over the last 2 yrs. Some finance economy!!!!!. And last, for those who understand the ever increasing debt issue and the dollar reserve currency, even that era is approaching its natural dead end.
