Newmar not taking accountability? Passing the blame on quality to vendors?

[osuallen]

My question is, why is Newmar's warranty only 1 year while some RV manufacturers have up to 3 year warranties? Being one of, if not the premier non custom coach manufacturer, one would think they would want to assure customers of the quality of their final product.

Which motorhomes are giving a 3-year warranty?

 

[MarkMaxPayne]

Which motorhomes are giving a 3-year warranty?

Back in 2018 my Tiffin Wayfarer came with a 3 year on all things structural on the house side (walls, roof, delamination, etc.). I went in for some repairs more than 2 years in where some of their body fill work had started to crack where they joined the front cap with the sides to appear seamless. Was an easy approval and quick repair as they accepted my photos as all the proof they needed. All the installed bits was under a traditional 1 year.

Best,
-Mark

 

[Underboss]

All Newmar coaches are covered with a one-year, unlimited-mile expressed limited warranty and a five-year limited structural warranty.

 

[lostinfla]

Notice I stated "RV" not motorhome. I believe Airstream offers 3 year warranty on their units. I've also seen 3 year warranties on other brands at various RV shows.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Notice I stated "RV" not motorhome. I believe Airstream offers 3 year warranty on their units. I've also seen 3 year warranties on other brands at various RV shows.

That's pretty much apples and oranges.
Forest River even issues a 10 year warranty on their travel trailer roofs. Which may as well be a fifty year since they're not going to honor it. The fine print says the original owner must inspect the roof and all seams every 90 days for leaks. It wouldn't have leaked had the owner properly inspected.
All warranties are not the same.

 

[Piros1]

I see a lot of recent model year Newmar's returning to the market, owners are not keeping them, they are tired of spending all of their travel time trying to resolve issues. I've talked to several to learn the pain they are going through on quality, warranty resolution, and just fearing their coach at every campground stop. I'm hearing Newmar is blaming quality on vendors, take for example the rash of fogged windows that are popping up. In 2019 it was Kwikee steps making headlines, now it's poor paint, woodwork, tile, grout, slide issues, KIB, silverleaf, the list goes on and on. The expected lifetime of your new Newmar coach is up until it drives off the dealers lot!

So let me say something to you, Newmar, YOU are the one that chooses your 3rd party components and vendors, therefore YOU are responsible for your decision to use their products and that they met some level of quality for your coaches. Your customers, us, are not seeing that level of expected quality and we are having a hard time supporting you as we did in the Miller era. It's time to stop, evaluate, and make change. You are headed for an ugly decline if this is not turned around soon. Many looking to buy a new coach are not confident in Newmar and are seeking other options.

I have no experience with the newer coaches but I will say my 2015 is not what I expected. I’ve owned second hand since 2020 and I haven’t take a trip with it that I have not had some sort of repair beyond maintenance so in my opinion their quality isn’t all that good as a whole. I know Winnebago purchased them after they purchased Country Coach which I have owned as well. There is no comparison in fit and finish of the two coaches. The CC is by for a higher quality unfortunately they all have age against them. I was hoping that the future Newmar voa he’s would incorporate some of that quality. Maybe we can hope. At this point in my life I will probably continue fixing and polishing up my Essex, I’m getting to old to start over but that said if were to replace it I would be leaning towards something on a Prevost chassis.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Thor Industries is a publicly traded corporation and after the recent reorganization Tiffin has been grouped with Jayco, Entegra Coach, Open Range, and Heartland, led by Ken Walters CEO at Jayco.
Never in the history of publicly traded corporations has the CEO said, " Overall dividend yields are down, but quality has improved so keep up the good work. Never sacrifice quality to executive salaries and bonuses tied to short term yields".

 

[TheLooks]

Its the same thing over and over. Build a good product, sell the company for $$$$, the new company brings in experts at lean manufacturing and cheaper supply lines, labor is cut as quotas are used not rewarding quality, stop the warranty and after purchase support, and they make $$$ off the great name of the company, and then ditch it and buy the new latest greatest. The key to ownership is deciding which one is at the beginning of this cycle. IF any are.

 

[Roadglide117]

The peeling Flexsteel furniture problem many, many of us have faced with no support from Newmar is a good example. Newmar choose Flexsteel as their furniture supplier and over the years they put the screws to Flexsteel to remove cost hence the cheap covering materials. I am convinced that Newmar was aware of these changes and in fact directed Flexsteel to make them yet they reflect responsibility and blame Flexsteel. End result....Flexsteel exits the markets, folks loose their jobs and we Newmar owners end up with $5-$6,000 recovering costs. On the same front, the new Newmar President is very skilled at "It's not our fault". With this kind of leadership you will see a continued decline at Newmar. What a shame too!

the problem was not flexsteel at all....the problem was the cheap covering the NEWMAR chose, to save cost, knowing it would fail!

 

[Roadglide117]

I just called Newmar about a frameless window that the metal glued to the window started to separate. I was just wanting glue to repair myself. Their answer was.."we don't repair windows, we can order u another one" Lippert said the same thing. We to sun coast and the glued it back on for nothing and cleaned my fog for $200.

Newmar doesn't really care to help....they only care about profit!! I was thinking of upgrading to a newer Mountain aire, decided to keep my Ventana .

Casey seems to have his focus on Nascar teams, not on the private people that Millers had committed too.

 

[Underboss]

I just called Newmar about a frameless window that the metal glued to the window started to separate. I was just wanting glue to repair myself. Their answer was.."we don't repair windows, we can order u another one" Lippert said the same thing. We to sun coast and the glued it back on for nothing and cleaned my fog for $200.

Newmar doesn't really care to help....they only care about profit!! I was thinking of upgrading to a newer Mountain aire, decided to keep my Ventana .

Casey seems to have his focus on Nascar teams, not on the private people that Millers had committed too.

Repairing windows are not what they do, and because its 11 years old and if it fails again, they will be berated, kind of like now

 

[Holdmybeer]

the problem was not flexsteel at all....the problem was the cheap covering the NEWMAR chose, to save cost, knowing it would fail!

The problem is with both. Jayco was well aware of the problem in the early 2010's but continues to buy the junk. Their calculus is that it doesn't ordinarily start deteriorating until after the warranty has expired so it's the buyer's problem, not ours.