Pretty excited to pick up our new 252RL 2 weeks ago. Generally very happy with it. However, there a few problems that need fixing. Discovered these issues when at home getting ready for first trip out. Strike plate for rear door latch screw stripped. Plate won’t remain in position. Unable to engage latch and door won’t close. Screw dropped on floor bound under trim strip for slide out, pulling the trim out. Slide out flooring pulled up at one end refuses to lay flat. Tripping on it. Awning motor failed after 3 uses and awning won’t retract. Screw holding heater exhaust half way in and cross threaded. Wiring harness for something hanging out 2 inches and caught between frame and flooring. Won’t know what that wiring is until something fails. Smoke alarm is so sensitive we cannot make a cup of coffee without it going off. Had to remove battery to cook anything. These are all nuisance items but they reflect sloppy workmanship on the part of individuals at the Alliance factory. Now I am worried about what other and more serious problems exist I cannot see yet. Maybe the water tank will fall out? Dealer happy to fix in 6 weeks. Two trips planned where we will have to deal with these headaches. Seems like this sort of stuff should be communicated to Alliance. Much of what I read suggests this is usual and customary with new RV of any manufacturer. What do you think? Presumably the dealer will review with Alliance.
Sloppy Workmanship
- Thread starter CaptTPT
- Start date
This stuff should not happen. However it is par for the course for the ENTIRE RV industry.
A new owner needs to do there own PDI before taking delivery. A thorough PDI involves testing everything. That means every switch, every drawer, every faucet, HVAC, slides, leveling system, microwave, stove, have the dealer show you everything works.
Yes it will take some time and the dealer will have to have things prepped like water tanks filled etc.
Failure to test everything leaves you taking a gamble as soon as you pull off the lot.
When I was a RV novice I trusted the dealer and the RV industry.
Many years and 3 RV's later. I understand the RV industry is shady.
What the industry needs is outside competition to show them how to do it right Like the Japanese did for Detroit back in the 70's.
Until then the buyer has to continue to fend for themselves and conduct their own thorough PDI. (Pre Delivery Inspection).
A thorough PDI quickly gets the dealer's attention, and lets them know that you are not going to settle for an "Almost ready to go RV".
While a thorough PDI is time consuming, It will save you time and headaches down the road.
Don't discover problems on your 1st, 2nd and even 3rd camping trip. Find those problems on the dealer's lot before you pull away.
If you don't have the experience and knowledge to find the problems, hire someone.
It will be worth it to you to have a totally inspected and sorted out RV. vs. one with lots a minor issues.
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A new owner needs to do there own PDI before taking delivery. A thorough PDI involves testing everything. That means every switch, every drawer, every faucet, HVAC, slides, leveling system, microwave, stove, have the dealer show you everything works.
Yes it will take some time and the dealer will have to have things prepped like water tanks filled etc.
Failure to test everything leaves you taking a gamble as soon as you pull off the lot.
When I was a RV novice I trusted the dealer and the RV industry.
Many years and 3 RV's later. I understand the RV industry is shady.
What the industry needs is outside competition to show them how to do it right Like the Japanese did for Detroit back in the 70's.
Until then the buyer has to continue to fend for themselves and conduct their own thorough PDI. (Pre Delivery Inspection).
A thorough PDI quickly gets the dealer's attention, and lets them know that you are not going to settle for an "Almost ready to go RV".
While a thorough PDI is time consuming, It will save you time and headaches down the road.
Don't discover problems on your 1st, 2nd and even 3rd camping trip. Find those problems on the dealer's lot before you pull away.
If you don't have the experience and knowledge to find the problems, hire someone.
It will be worth it to you to have a totally inspected and sorted out RV. vs. one with lots a minor issues.
.
Yes, I believe you are correct. I did all of that. Awning and door latch worked correctly at checkout. Missed the loose screw. Checkout person assured me the flooring would lay flat with a little time. The only other thing I missed when looking underneath at checkout was the wiring harness hanging out.
Yes, unfortunately, alliance is the same as all the rest when it comes to workmanship. They are an assembler of parts like the rest. This will be my last new rv, guaranteed. Not impressed. I’ve owned 4 prior to this one, all used units that I expected to have to fix stuff. My dealer is ok to good, but only does what alliance allows. I am thinking of migrating back to newmar….but a good used unit.
BryanValRox
Well-known member
CaptTPT,
Sorry your having these issues. I and many others have voiced concerns around workmanship issues with our coaches.
My opinion is that we shouldn’t have to accept substandard work as “ On Well, it’s the industry “
We pay a lot of money and a seasoned manufacturer should have very specific controls-in place to ensure they are producing a quality product. I guess we all made a choice to purchase hoping that the company values that are advertised would start on the assembly line and not just be something that they have to live up to after delivering.
Think of what would be saved in warranty cost, it quality was improved on the line.
Regarding your list, I would be very concerned to have a wiring harness trapped between the frame and the floor.
This is an accident just waiting to happen and should be considered a safety issue. This wiring could short out and cause a much bigger issue. Hopefully the fuse protection will work as expected should a short happen.
Honestly, I am not sure how often the feedback on this forum gets data mined by the factory but you could contact the factory to see if they will send you a mobile tech to help tank care of your punch list. @Bill Martin might be a resource for you if you can’t get satisfaction from the call center contacts. In the for what it is worth department, all at Alliance are likely getting ready for the National Rally this week so a response could be delayed.
Sorry your having these issues. I and many others have voiced concerns around workmanship issues with our coaches.
My opinion is that we shouldn’t have to accept substandard work as “ On Well, it’s the industry “
We pay a lot of money and a seasoned manufacturer should have very specific controls-in place to ensure they are producing a quality product. I guess we all made a choice to purchase hoping that the company values that are advertised would start on the assembly line and not just be something that they have to live up to after delivering.
Think of what would be saved in warranty cost, it quality was improved on the line.
Regarding your list, I would be very concerned to have a wiring harness trapped between the frame and the floor.
This is an accident just waiting to happen and should be considered a safety issue. This wiring could short out and cause a much bigger issue. Hopefully the fuse protection will work as expected should a short happen.
Honestly, I am not sure how often the feedback on this forum gets data mined by the factory but you could contact the factory to see if they will send you a mobile tech to help tank care of your punch list. @Bill Martin might be a resource for you if you can’t get satisfaction from the call center contacts. In the for what it is worth department, all at Alliance are likely getting ready for the National Rally this week so a response could be delayed.
We are new to Alliance and picked up our 292RL about a month ago. We found some issues during our PDI that were addressed but missed others. We noticed the Kitchen Faucet had a very low discharge but were told it was the low flow faucet. On our first outing, we discovered that the flow was so low it would not trigger the water heater to turn on. The shower and bathroom sink were fine. I removed the faucet head and found a lot of blue and red pcs of the pex pipe had clogged the screen in the facet. Removed it and the faucet works as it should with proper flow. We also had a leak at the P-Trap under the kitchen sink which required a simple tightening.
One of the things I noticed from factory videos…the lack of clean/orderly workspaces. Pride in workmanship involves cleanliness. I am getting to 9 mos. ownership and small things keeps cropping up. Not really wanting to disrupt my trips to let it sit at dealer for a few things that I know will be fixed correctly if I do them myself. For a number of years I worked for a Fortune 500 company on the manufacturing floor, we didn’t have to prep for tours as our areas were always clean/orderly and we took pride in our work.
Austin Alliance
Well-known member
Yes, I have had my Delta 252RL since April. I have backsplash bubbling off the wall, screws falling out everywhere, and a bathroom travel door lock that is put on two inches to close to the door edge, so when someone closes the door to use the bathroom the lock hits the door trim and makes a deep cut into the faux wood trim. Today, I open my slide and there is a random screw wedged between the vinyl flooring and the trim under the refrigerator... I almost forgot the first time I used my Black Tank flush. Hooked-up the hose and water everywhere because the plastic inlet valve threads on the back side of the wall when installed had stripped threads and was leaking.... I went out and bought a new inlet valve with brass threads and it works like a champ.... Most of these you cannot find on a PDI or pay for an independent inspector to catch. It starts at the factory with people who give a crap what they are doing! Every time I see a factory tour video people are running around in a hurry to get done. It seems they need to slow down and get the job done right the first time. I am tired of hearing these RV ambassador's talk about how great everything is on YouTube, and the manufacturers stating how great their product is!!! I want to start seeing QUALITY versus QUANTITY!!!!!
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I'm not trying to defend Alliance because quality in the RV industry needs improvement. However RV's are basically hand assembled vs. robotic assembly. As long as there is that human factor a thorough PDI will be required.
In the residential and commercial construction world their is the term "punch list." We all know what that term is and what it is all about. We are reluctant to apply that term to RV's and believe perfection should come without a punch list. Unfortunately it just doesn't work that way and probably never will.
We have been building homes for years and still have punch list at the end. Houses are static and don't move. RV's are very similioar to house except they move and have been transported hundreds of miles before you ever touch it. They shake ,flex and bounce down the road, things will loosen and come apart. It is the nature of the beast!
The problem is what is something that is a simple punch list item (that is easily remedied) vs. a major flaw or issue.
Instead of calling it a PDI we should refer to it as a punch list. The more detailed your punch list. The fewer problems you will have in the long run.
In the residential and commercial construction world their is the term "punch list." We all know what that term is and what it is all about. We are reluctant to apply that term to RV's and believe perfection should come without a punch list. Unfortunately it just doesn't work that way and probably never will.
We have been building homes for years and still have punch list at the end. Houses are static and don't move. RV's are very similioar to house except they move and have been transported hundreds of miles before you ever touch it. They shake ,flex and bounce down the road, things will loosen and come apart. It is the nature of the beast!
The problem is what is something that is a simple punch list item (that is easily remedied) vs. a major flaw or issue.
Instead of calling it a PDI we should refer to it as a punch list. The more detailed your punch list. The fewer problems you will have in the long run.
When I purchased my rig I was shown the service facility, which they claimed to be the largest and most sophisticated in the country, and that as a new owner I would be a “Platinum” customer at the top of the list for quick service. When I first pointed out the problems I discovered I was put in the que, like everybody else. They told me Alliance would have to approve the warranty items, then they would order the parts. That would take 6 weeks! Well, they should already know what is covered under warranty and I can get the parts in 2 days off Amazon, so 6 weeks is BS. Obviously that’s mostly a dealer issue but still infuriating. It has, however, allowed me to identify a few more “punch list” items of concern: couch falling apart, roof gutter drain falling off, no stop on bath door leading to latch gouging the trim, and a couple more cross threaded screws. Routine stuff, I gather. Should be embarrassing to Alliance but they don’t appear to comment in forums. Don’t think for one second they don’t read every word in the forums!
Finally got trailer in for correction of problems identified. Six week wait. Check in service tech at dealer was terrific and appears to want all items properly corrected in a timely fashion. Multiple items to repair. My concern about 2 of these:
Number one- discovered rear door frame is warped. Door will not close properly. Sight down latch side of door frame shows warpage of at least 1/2 inch at center. Tech says door needs to be replaced. Submitted to Alliance for warranty repair. Their solution - place blocks on top and bottom and basically jump on the door until they have it bent back straight! Yup. That’s what they said.
Number two - wire harness hanging out underneath between trailer frame and flooring at the level of tank drain. Submitted to Alliance for warranty. Their solution – remove underbelly, place crowbar between frame and flooring. Pry up until flooring elevated high enough to shove wire back Inside. Check for wire integrity before doing so. Done. Really?
Really worried about prying up the flooring with a crowbar! Damage to flooring wood will certainly happen. What’s going to happen to this down the road?
Your thoughts? These problem are found on brand new trailer only a few days out. Seems like problems like this should be corrected to properly made new condition. Correct?
Number one- discovered rear door frame is warped. Door will not close properly. Sight down latch side of door frame shows warpage of at least 1/2 inch at center. Tech says door needs to be replaced. Submitted to Alliance for warranty repair. Their solution - place blocks on top and bottom and basically jump on the door until they have it bent back straight! Yup. That’s what they said.
Number two - wire harness hanging out underneath between trailer frame and flooring at the level of tank drain. Submitted to Alliance for warranty. Their solution – remove underbelly, place crowbar between frame and flooring. Pry up until flooring elevated high enough to shove wire back Inside. Check for wire integrity before doing so. Done. Really?
Really worried about prying up the flooring with a crowbar! Damage to flooring wood will certainly happen. What’s going to happen to this down the road?
Your thoughts? These problem are found on brand new trailer only a few days out. Seems like problems like this should be corrected to properly made new condition. Correct?
My general thought is . Prying up on the floor to slip wire by is feasible and doable with no major collateral damage.
As far as the door, attempting to bend it back into shape is worth a try and may actually work.
If it doesn't straiten out you can then order a new door. No harm in trying to bend it back.
As far as the door, attempting to bend it back into shape is worth a try and may actually work.
If it doesn't straiten out you can then order a new door. No harm in trying to bend it back.
Austin Alliance
Well-known member
The door issue comes from the factory that way. Mr. Martin addresses it on a "Watcha Know Wednesday". Sounds like the camber needs adjustment to it....
The door issue is way beyond what is described in the watcha know Wednesday video, but thanks for referring to that. The warp I have is so great the service tech guy couldn’t get the door closed no matter how hard he slammed it. Doesn’t seem normal to me. A little bit of bowing is fine to get a good seal at the top and bottom but this is ridiculous. The flooring? How much lift weight will be required to elevate the flooring From the frame? This isn’t like the center of the floor where there is no weight on it to speak of. At the frame are you not lifting the whole side of the trailer? Anything more than a few pounds will crush the cheep plywood used. This isn’t cabinet grade ply. It’s junk standard ply, which is easily crushed. Somebody educate me. What am I missing here?
Ideally the plywood will crush as you put it to allow a gap for wire to pass through. In order for the prying idea to work something has to give. The plywood giving would be better than metal stud or plate giving.
A dent in the plywood will not compromise the structural integrity of the trailer.
A dent in the plywood will not compromise the structural integrity of the trailer.
I think the bigger point is, the “fixes” are shade tree, ”redneck”, solutions. They do not inspire confidence in the product put forth to us consumers. Consumers have to start demanding better through their pocketbooks. This goes for everything. We have allowed companies to get by with producing and selling inferior products for decades.
Us consumers claim we want better, but the higher end lines have faded from the market place.
Excel and Carriage were top quality bread and butter manufactures however they did not survive.
They simply did not sell enough units because there was not enough demand.
They succumbed to manufactures that put price and eye candy ahead of quality.
Unless you move to Luxe, New Horizons or Spacecraft you are forced to settle for the mediocre quality that is available
That is the world and marketplace we live in.
In terms of fixes. You can call them redneck if you like , But a wire trapped/caught under a wall does not total the unit entirely.
In the field the techs and manufactures have to find away to correct errors that occur. Yes sometimes it does require a trip back to the factory. However in this case Alliance believes it can be corrected in the field.
Give them a chance to make the fix, the sky might not be falling just yet
This goes full circle to my thread above.
Knowing that quality control has been lacking in the RV industry for decades, It is critical that consumers inspect their units up and down, top to bottom , side to side with a fine tooth comb before leaving the lot. That is how you demand more from the R$V industry, you don't accept the unit until you are fully satisfied EVERYTHING is in order
Excel and Carriage were top quality bread and butter manufactures however they did not survive.
They simply did not sell enough units because there was not enough demand.
They succumbed to manufactures that put price and eye candy ahead of quality.
Unless you move to Luxe, New Horizons or Spacecraft you are forced to settle for the mediocre quality that is available
That is the world and marketplace we live in.
In terms of fixes. You can call them redneck if you like , But a wire trapped/caught under a wall does not total the unit entirely.
In the field the techs and manufactures have to find away to correct errors that occur. Yes sometimes it does require a trip back to the factory. However in this case Alliance believes it can be corrected in the field.
Give them a chance to make the fix, the sky might not be falling just yet
This goes full circle to my thread above.
Knowing that quality control has been lacking in the RV industry for decades, It is critical that consumers inspect their units up and down, top to bottom , side to side with a fine tooth comb before leaving the lot. That is how you demand more from the R$V industry, you don't accept the unit until you are fully satisfied EVERYTHING is in order