DRV Quality

[HOWITTRO]

We are looking to buy a new DRV this fall and I am sensing that owners are pleased with the quality of their Mobile Suites. Am I correct in this assumption. I know you will always get some issues but I am concerned about the structural integrity of the unit.
Thanks
Bob

[wingnut60]

Based on what I have read on several forums, I don't feel that DRV is way better or way worse than other brands, but I do feel they are overpriced. However, if you are looking for a 40' or larger unit, they may have one of the best until you hit Continental or such custom makers.
Structural integrity? When you say that I think "will it fall apart"--no. If you are thinking systems and operations, again I think no better/worse than other high-end mfgs.
Ours is 10 years old now and it is holding together pretty well...
Joe

[MooseSuite]

We have owned two DRV units, a quality product for 4 season use and extended living. Do your homework and compare both structure and price.
As well, price on a vehicle to pull it.

Maybe a Class A or C might be something to look at. Consider all options and opinions.

[SlowNnice]

I am a full timer 4 seasons and spent two winters in Minnesota and Iowa. I know they have a lot of insulation which is a big help. You still need to skirt. That was the biggest selling point for me. I had no problems with frost or pipe issues. We got ours maxed out with extras and the upgraded suspension and breaks (3 axle). It rides sweet.

I agree with wingnut about the heavy price, but we have a 43 footer and I did not see any to compare. We have been to RV shows since we purchased our unit and I think it is the best out there.

If you purchase one, don't look back, just enjoy it.

I will say that I wish some of the documentation was better on the stereo wiring, yup, that is all I have to say about that. We love our DRV.

[missourijan]

You can get a lot of information on the structural stuff on Drv's website. They do buy their frames from Lippert but are spec'd for Drv. Look at other manufacturers and compare the frame quality. We have owned a Drv since 2006, a 2007 Select Suite that we lived in for 5 1/2 years and now a 2012 Mobile Suite that we've lived in for 3 1/2 years. I've heard of only one person that had a frame problem. That discussion is on the SOITC website, which is getting upgraded. I believe Drv builds good quality units. We would buy another.

[Dranoel]

I'm happy with our DRV. Only minor issues after 2 yrs.

[RickandJanice]

Another DRV Mobile Suites fan here. We have had minimal issues with ours. For the price, I think they are still one of the best built rigs for full time use and you will not find one better insulated.

Word of caution, DRV does build a line called Tradition that is lighter construction and compares more to a Montana or Redwood but is higher priced. Personally I am not impressed with the Tradition line by DRV and feel it is over priced.

[Joezilla]

we have a 43 footer

SlowNnice,

What is your 43 foot model?

We are ordering a 43 foot Atlanta.

Joe

[MooseSuite]

I am a full timer 4 seasons and spent two winters in Minnesota and Iowa. I know they have a lot of insulation which is a big help. You still need to skirt. That was the biggest selling point for me. I had no problems with frost or pipe issues. We got ours maxed out with extras and the upgraded suspension and breaks (3 axle). It rides sweet.

I agree with wingnut about the heavy price, but we have a 43 footer and I did not see any to compare. We have been to RV shows since we purchased our unit and I think it is the best out there.

If you purchase one, don't look back, just enjoy it.

I will say that I wish some of the documentation was better on the stereo wiring, yup, that is all I have to say about that. We love our DRV.

The stereo and entertainment centre is really pretty straight forward, once you go through the functions of the Sony tuner by user manual, or get a demo and run thru by a tech. Our 2014 MS has a 2011 Sony tuner. Newer tuners have improved functions.
That all said the wiring is just a mess to detangle, components velcroved to one another, in cramped quarters.
The bedroom speakers carry half of the stereo sound the other half is in the basement speakers. And you can only shut down the upper room speakers. So if you want to listen to your outside speakers only which you can not, you get half the stereo sound, and you have to play all speakers on the system. Its crazy.
The IR block is pretty neat, in that you can run components from the main to bedroom and basement TVs.
Another thing I discovered is that the FM tuner is connected to the roof antenna so if you can get pretty good reception with the TV2 Aux pressed in. Make sure you set up your sony system thru your TV, just turn GUI mode on, on your remote to accomplish this. Again all in the manual.

[WJ401]

New just today and want to learn! We are considering a DRV too and the price does seem high compared to most other 5th wheels. What thoughts does anyone have on Tradition vs Mobile Suites? Is the difference in price justified? I realize the structure is I-beam vs stacked tube steel, but does the extra cost justify it?

[wingnut60]

Ask that question to Joezilla above--he is going from a Tradition to a Suites as we speak.
Joe

[orca]

I have owned a 2015 DRV Fullhouse for only 6 weeks and i am very disappointed in the number of warranty items that i am dealing with! The list is too long to go into here but some are major engineering flubs to small anoying items. For the amount they charge for these trailers they should go thru extensive pre delivery at the factory so the customer does not have to find stupid things like missing heating vents hidden under the carpet!

[tjfotenot]

We have a 2014 43' Lexington and we love ours. We have had some minor stupid quality issues but now that we have all of them worked out, we wouldn't consider anything else. The slide awnings do not drain well and collect many gallons of water after a rain. This is because the awnings are almost level from the roof and not pitched enough. I had to make pvc supports under them. Many screws over torqued. The quality is no doubt better than the cheaper manufacturers. 6 point leveling is awesome.

You can significantly reduce the msrp of the coach by negotiating with many different dealers. I started at 35% off and got 30% final sale. Happy camping.

[WJ401]

Thanks for the input, especially on the discounting experience. If anyone has transitioned from a Tradition to a Mobile Suites it would be interesting to hear your experiences and the "whys" for selecting a Tradition first. Obviously price is a large factor, but is there a big difference in functionality?

[Joezilla]

Thanks for the input, especially on the discounting experience. If anyone has transitioned from a Tradition to a Mobile Suites it would be interesting to hear your experiences and the "whys" for selecting a Tradition first. Obviously price is a large factor, but is there a big difference in functionality?

We are transitioning from a Select Suites to a Mobile Suites. The Tradition is built on the same 12" I beam frame as our SS, but our SS is more like a Mobile Suites than a Tradition. The SS has the same 3.5" walls, where the Tradition has 2" walls like all the rest of the RV's besides DRV. We have been very pleased with our SS, but would not go with a Tradition. Just go through any Mobile Suite and then go through a Tradition. You will never be satisfied with a Tradition after seeing a MS.

While we are pleased with our SS, I will tell you that we had quite a few problems with it in the first few months of ownership. DRV reimbursed us nearly $3000 for problems that were fixed by mobile techs and different dealerships for warranty work. We are fulltimers and are not going back to our purchasing dealership anytime in our lifetime. All we have to do to be satisfied with our SS is to visit friends in their SOB's. Our SS is very much like a small home. We are going to love our new 43' Atlanta even more!!

Joe

[MooseSuite]

Keep in mind resale value.
Add the MS standards to Tradition options, MS comes out a winner and better constructed trailer.
As well compare MS standards to other brands. MS has longevity in resale and FT living.

You must have the tow vehicle to pull.

[Kerry]

Orca, I second what you posted. I too had a heat vent missed and covered in carpet. Thor's philosophy is to get as many units off line as fast as you can and do more next time. 90 % of the problems I've had could have been eliminated if more time and attention to detail had been taken on the assembly line QC has to be next to non existent. It's like " if you see something wrong, don't worry about it. The dealer will fix it or the customer will bring it back to the factory to get fixed".Sad

[MooseSuite]

Hold it, don't throw a bad blanket over everything. Ive been threw a number of plant tours over the years and the the QC inspections pre paint have been excellent in my opinion, many mark ups on the exterior and post-it notes fixes on the interior. Im not saying you're wrong, but just give them, DRV a chance to correct your issues first. Give Kyle Miller a call or someone on the SMT at DRV.
Im sorry to hear about this, we love the product even with the issues we have encountered.
P.S. If it was any vent other than the bedroom, then I agree with you negligent.

[Kerry]

Let me elaborate on what I previously said. I bought my unit at RVSforLess. Not one bad word about this dealership, good people. I spent , I think, 15 days at the dealership as they fixed various things on my unit. Some things I had to go to the factory to have fixed. I'm happy with what was said "the bones" of the unit, however to list all the problems would take about four pages. DRV has been good to work with to get most things fixed. I know a little bit about RV's. I worked in the business for 32 yrs, I know things break, no one builds a perfect unit. They worked on my unit for 3 days at the factory, the tech that worked on it was really good at fixing problems. Most of the problems I've had are things that should have been done correctly on the line at the time it was built, even the tech said so. I do have some issues that need fixing, and DRV is not willing to work with resolving the issues. One of these I will detail for everyone. At delivery I had a deep scratch on the center island countertop. RVS 4less said they would try and buff it out and if it wasn't fixed correctly, the factory had agreed to replace it. It was on the list to the factory before I arrived. When I got there, they said they would not replace the countertop as it was not bad enough to replace. The countertop has waves in it form where repairs were attempted. I didn't pay for a wavy countertop. i'm working on escalating it to higher management. The damage was not my fault and I don't feel to have it replaced I should have to pay for it. There are other items, but that being said, for a high end , high priced unit, QC should be a whole lot better.
__________________

[wingnut60]

MooseSuite,
I have been thru the factory twice--seen the unfinished units with the exterior marks and sticky notes inside. Still, many internet postings from new owners who have QC concerns.
Not sure where the answer lies, but for $100k+ there ought to be fewer of the post-delivery problems.
Just glad I don't have the decision facing me to buy a new unit...not sure I wouldn't want to take some chances with a lower initial cost if I would have to worry about fixing things--and that includes days the dealer has to spend on it before delivery.
My '05 has been a good unit, and surely with all the numbers of new DRVs being sold, there are happy, satisfied owners that we never hear from.
Joe

[the Sheriff]

We have a 2012 Mobile Suite. Quality is good but if you buy a new model, be sure to get the ($$) extended warranty. DRV is good with support for the first 3 years but then you'll be on your own. We couldn't drive the unit out of the dealer's lot for 6 weeks while DRV fussed with the slide. The problem is still with us but DRV has dropped any help. So has Lippert, so we are relying on the extended warranty. We are certainly not happy with DRV considering the $100,000+ price! Three years and it falls apart?!? They've ended up being a typical "car dealer": once they get the money, they're done with you.

[ARCliz]

just picked up our 2016 41 RSSB4 AND I agree , QC and attention to detail IS NOT there for the amount of money spent!!

[TeresaB]

How has DRV been in fulfilling their warranty repairs? Has it taken a long time to get issues corrected? How is the fit and finish on their RVs?

[tjfotenot]

I have a 2014.5 43' Lexington Mobile Suites and fit and finish is less than satisfactory. The quality of materials compared to most manufacturers are much better than most. DRV definitely resolves their issues. I could never schedule an appointment in a timely manner with the factory but used their local recommended shops instead for minor issues.

There are no excuses for DRV but all manufacturers, except like New Horizons and Continental Coach which are much more expensive, are all on a assembly line with quotas to meet so there will always be quality issues with this process.

In my opinion, we love our coach. Would I like to see better manufacturing quality..... Absolutely. I don't know of a better coach in this price range and I am a full timer who has been on the road for 15 years and have talked to a lot of RV owners. I have been in extreme conditions with RV's and DRV is one of the best as far as materials and components used.

By the way 2012 and 2013 had major issues with their Schwintek slide components and are now using a cable slide component which is much better.

Hope this helps!

[TeresaB]

Thank your for the information. It is very helpful. I don't expect perfection; however, given the price point, I would expect for DRV to be quick to resolve any issues.
Thanks again.

Kind regards,
Teresa

[WiFi]

just picked up our 2016 41 RSSB4 AND I agree , QC and attention to detail IS NOT there for the amount of money spent!!
Never has been

[rorr1821]

DRV comes with 2 A/C's on the 36 and 38 units. I have been advised by one dealer to order the 3rd ac if you spend much time in hot climates. DO YOU REALLY NEED THE 3RD A/C?

[Cummins12V98]

I was advised by Alicia at RollingRetreats, I took her advice along with the CheapHeat option and am very thankful for both!!!

[Bugcatcher]

What is the cheap heat?

[terry and jo]

What is the cheap heat?

Down further in the forums is one thread regarding Cheap Heat. Check this link:

Cheap Heat (http://www.5thwheelforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2884)

For more information, check out more at the following website:

RV Comfort Systems (http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/)

I don't know if the website lists the price of Cheap Heat. If not, you'll need to ask those that have looked further into them or that have purchased the system.

Terry

[TeresaB]

DRV comes with 2 A/C's on the 36 and 38 units. I have been advised by one dealer to order the 3rd ac if you spend much time in hot climates. DO YOU REALLY NEED THE 3RD A/C?

Personally, I would rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. I prefer for everything to be factory installed. I'm not one for adding things on at a later date and tying up my camper at the dealership, in addition to risking the dealership messing up something while completing the work. JMHO