RW breaking away from Lippert??

[travelin' texans]

I don't plan on buying tomorrow, so whatever their super secret changes are they don't affect me, but I hope for future buyers they step up & make some changes that really matter, I can turn on my own lights without having to find my cell phone. Also in my opinion even once they roll out to the dealers the changes may as well still be secret cause from what I've experienced the dealers/sales people don't have a clue or care about what they're selling & wouldn't know an upgrade/ improvement if it jumped up & bit them in the a##, as long as they go out the driveway.

[Rick and Mindy]

Went and looked at the new VanLeigh Vilano the other day. I was somewhat impressed with interior, exterior not so much. They have gone with the flat rear instead of a rear cap, looks cheap. You also have to open the street side basement door to use the level up system controls. Not good if on a highway and trying to lift rig to change a tire. Anyway, I was explaining to the salesman that I also don't like the fact that the hydraulic slides are not operated independently. I told him I would want different switches to control them instead of having to isolate the valves to open just one slide. He was lost and had no clue that you could isolate the slides. I had to show him the valves. They are taught to just get them sold and off the lot. Wow the people with the nice looking cabinets and overstuffed furniture!

[Shane Wood]

When making a huge investment in a purchase the only thing I need a salesmen to do is show or tell me where the item is I am looking for and then they can get lost. I will make my own decision based on my knowledge and investigating the product. When it comes time for a new item they will all go in the same cream can and the cream will rise to the top. That is what I will purchase.

[mhs4771]

Here's another link to some Redwood breaking news, sounds like the cat is out of the bag: Redwood to Unveil New Lineup at RV Open House | RV Business

[atom ant]

Nice ceilings! 8K axles and H tires was a no brainer. Still can't figure out the thrill of the central command. So many folks were having trouble with the Lync pad as it was, and not a lot of gain.

[bergeman]

Looks great, no carpeting is a nice touch. Better yet, they are not locking their doors.

[travelin' texans]

That sounds much more promising than the blu tooth light switch doodads.

[Rick and Mindy]

Definitely piqued my interest. Sounds like maybe they are going to go back to a graphics exterior with full paint option, maybe to bring the price point down. Can't wait to see the new models. It is great to know that they are still in it.

[rob_fla]

Be interesting to see some of the new floor plans

[Shane Wood]

Originally Posted by spindrift

Since you appear to be suggesting that you're "in the know", I'd like to hear an example of just one of these changes.

Well I guess the cat is out of the bag. They have made some changes for the better for people purchasing new models. But my concern is the quality control which they say the have improved with every coach getting a once over before leaving the factory. Time will tell

[Tomkidder]

Originally Posted by Shane Wood

Well I guess the cat is out of the bag. They have made some changes for the better for people purchasing new models. But my concern is the quality control which they say the have improved with every coach getting a once over before leaving the factory. Time will tell

I personally would be willing to to wait a month or so longer for my RW knowing that the unit was built with a little more care and the workers were proudly putting out a product that they place their name upon. As far as others looking to other brands to buy, good luck with that! They are pretty much built the same. What color do you want that in,sir? At least the Redwood units appears to hold a better value over time than the cheaper units. The first couple years are a doozy for loss then the price settles in.

[spindrift]

Same workers doing the same work...
Now if I hear Ryan Juday report that their worker's compensation plan had been restructured to include quarterly bonus based on the number of warranty claims, I'd be excited. And how will they lower the price point without taking away some feature that was standard in the past? And no, I'm not a pessimist, just a pragmatist. I simply follow in my patron saint's footsteps.

[Dave&Ginny]

I've wondered if the problem with the quality has to do with the "piece work". The way I understand it (and I could be wrong), you get paid for the units out the door not by the hour. Once the days units are built you go home so the faster you are the faster you go home with full pay.

I asked someone why they did this and the only answer I got was that every manufacture did this so it would be hard to change.

I don't know for sure what the answer is but I will say if a automobile manufacture had the reputation that the RV folks have......they'd be ran out of business with Ralph Nader chasing them.

[rob_fla]

I may be wrong but I think the only towable manufacturer that does not pay piece rate is Augusta RV, I think they pay a hourly rate to their line workers.

[Shane Wood]

Rob
That my be true. My understanding is there is such a shortage of workers in the Indiana area that Augusta must be paying a good hourly wage to keep their people otherwise they would be jumping ship for the all mighty dollar. The techs at the rally told me that if the outfit they were working for wasn't treating them good they could get a job the same day with someone else. Being in construction I know how that works. When business is booming the worker has the upper hand. When times are slow management has the upper hand

[Rick and Mindy]

When we toured the plant back in 2014, we were told that the employees are told that when (I think it was 3 or 4) units are completed then they get to go home. That says something about the emphasis on quality. I suspect under this system that employees know there is a defect but the thought in their mind of going home early takes over and out the door the unit goes.

[spindrift]

Reminds me of the days when I worked for the Township Sanitation Department while in high school. The quicker the driver finished his route, the sooner we got to go home. Anyone see Eddie Murphy in the first Beverly Hills Cop movie? At one point during the movie he's hanging onto the rear end of a trailer as the truck driver/bad guy speeds through the streets of LA. That was me.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by spindrift

Reminds me of the days when I worked for the Township Sanitation Department while in high school. The quicker the driver finished his route, the sooner we got to go home. Anyone see Eddie Murphy in the first Beverly Hills Cop movie? At one point during the movie he's hanging onto the rear end of a trailer as the truck driver/bad guy speeds through the streets of LA. That was me.

Tom, I fully understand! As a over the road driver for many years I got paid by the mile. I had 3 log books and the truck never stopped.......the family always got fed.

[RCAircraft]

Originally Posted by bergeman

As an Electrical Engineer in the Controls industry, it has always been my personal opinion that home automation systems and this Jensen/ASA do not work well in the long run when put in homes/RVs that are meant to last many, many years. Ten years ago we were switching from IPOD's to IPhones. How many of you had bought homes with dated intercom's in them? Home Automation needs to run in parallel with manual systems in such a way they can be easily upgraded or removed, not baked into the home(or RV)

Bergman- also a industrial controls/product development engineer (seriously retired) and agree with you. Our RW's should not solely rely only on an auto/remote system. It needs to have an easy change over to allow normal/manual operation of slides, leveling and other critical support systems. Unlike my home our RV needs a pre-op eyes-on check list (walk around) to avoid damage to the RW or tow vehicle. Remote adjusting of the HVAC temperature, cranking up the OTA antenna and auto satellite dish could be exceptions. Just about everything else should have an eye ball. Our brick & mortar home is very different than a home on wheels. At the rate that digital devices change, the support of the RV specific software for ten years is problematic. The concept of remote control and monitoring is trendy however I struggle with the value question for a 350 square foot 40 foot long or so RV. A soundly designed suspension system (read MR IS system) including H- rated tires and a molded one piece roof could be better use of our investment dollars.

[Ford truck guy]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

Tom, I fully understand! As a over the road driver for many years I got paid by the mile. I had 3 log books and the truck never stopped.......the family always got fed.

Back when I ran flatbeds , hauling steel , I too had my REAL log book , and my FAKE log book... I was paid by the pound , so for me it paid me to hustle and do more each day... every pound that I either picked up or delivered was money in my pocket.
Incentives can work , if formatted properly

Joe