We hear a lot of talk about quality these days. RV and vehicle manufacturers are offering longer warranties, J.D. Power & Associates consumer surveys rank brands, and we’re bombarded with commercials and advertisements telling us how much better that particular product is.

There are two parts to quality: perceived and actual. That is, how people feel about a product subjectively (that’s where advertising spin comes in), and how the product measures up objectively in the cold reality of statistics. It appears that many products, including RVs and the tow vehicles and engines we use, continue to improve as measured by companies such as J.D. Power, and also by the number and frequency of problems and breakdowns we see. Part of the credit goes to high-tech materials and measuring devices, CNC machines, and other types of automation that reduce variations in manufacturing.

However, in the meantime our expectation of quality has changed compared to our parent’s generation. Consumers have come to expect zero problems with new products, which in effect has raised the bar at the same time, giving the feeling that nothing has changed.

With that said, the RV industry appears to lag behind the auto industry in quality improvement. Part of the problem is the relatively small number of RVs made, which means fewer steps are automated and fewer parts are installed as complete assemblies. Having humans drill the holes, tighten the bolts, and apply sealants introduces more variation into the manufacturing process. Buyers can vote for quality with their buying decisions, or vote with their feet by walking out when they see shoddy construction.