Major RV Brands Ranked From Worst To Best

Airstream Trade Wind

RVing is a wildly popular pastime in the United States, and many recreational vehicle owners aren't afraid to spend a hefty amount of money for comfort and convenience while on the road. While some enthusiasts are fine with less expensive mini campers, others are looking for the biggest and best, both in terms of size and reputation.

While towables are the most popular form of RVs, larger motorhomes, fifth-wheels, and even massive diesel pusher coaches also make up a significant portion of the market. You can go big or go small and still have plenty of features onboard. Three parent companies make up the top 10 RV manufacturers in the United States, although some are considered better than others in build quality, performance, and warranty coverage. Build quality is a significant issue in the RVing industry, so consumer complaints about equipment failures and cosmetic flaws shouldn't be surprising.

Here are the major RV brands ranked from worst to best based on sales, consumer complaints, awards, and recalls. Where applicable, we've also included awards given to RV manufacturers by the RV Industry Awards Program (RVIA) and the National RV Dealers Association (RVDA). An in-depth methodology is included following our ranking.

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Gulf Stream Coach

Gulf Stream Coach manufactures motorhomes and trailers to suit families of all sizes and with all interests, whether you're looking for a lightweight travel trailer or a family-friendly fifth-wheel or a Class C with all the amenities.

Unfortunately, reviews are not great for Gulf Stream overall. For one thing, the brand earns poor ratings on Consumer Affairs, where it has more one star ratings than the rest of the star ratings combined. In general, unhappy consumers suggested Gulf Stream Coach models are low quality. Some also suggested that the warranty offered by the manufacturer is worthless. Reported issues include water heater failure, water leaks, and damage -- including rust -- upon delivery. Given that Gulf Stream Coach did not have high enough sales to rank on Consumer Affairs' best-seller list from 2023, the consistent negative commentary stings a bit more.

Granted, reviews on RV Insider are noticeably better than on Consumer Affairs, but still include feedback that some newer models -- such as the Vintage Cruiser and Vista Cruiser -- are poor quality. Given how many unhappy customers Gulf Stream Coach seems to have, this is one of the worst major RV brands to shop for, despite the 10+ awards Gulf Stream has received from the RVDA.

Tiffin Motorhomes

Tiffin, a subsidiary of Thor Industries, manufactures luxury motorhomes. Based on data as recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tiffin has some of the highest recall numbers of a major RV manufacturer. Models like the Phaeton and Allegro had as many as 12 recalls per model, depending on the year, plus dozens of manufacturer communications about issues with the motorcoaches.

Tiffin fares a bit better with BBB complaints, as it hasn't had too many -- Tiffin Motor Homes, Inc. is even BBB accredited and has an A+ rating. However, most complaints indicate service and repair issues. RV Insider reviewers rate Tiffin's warranty coverage relatively poor, too, with an average of just over three stars out of five. Overall, Tiffin had slightly better consumer reviews than Gulf Stream Coach, but not enough to bump it out of the zone of next-to-worst.

One caveat -- despite less-than-perfect warranty coverage and overall quality, RV Insider ranks Tiffin as one of its top 10 RV manufacturers. However, Tiffin did not break into the ranks of the top 10 best-selling brands in 2023, which seems to says a lot about customer desires.

Airstream

Airstreams have long been regarded as some of the best travel trailers available, in part because of their durable design. While Airstream hasn't completely fallen from grace since the brand's early days, recent customers have noticed a few issues.

With just a handful of BBB complaints, Airstream seems to offer decent enough products and service. At least, it hasn't angered enough customers to the point where hundreds leave scathing reviews. RV Insider reviews also reflect a generally positive feeling from consumers, with a couple hundred reviews rating only the factory warranty below four stars.

Some negative reviews on RV Insider complain about specific equipment failures, while most praise both the brand and the specific RV model purchased. Unfortunately for Airstream, it wasn't one of the top 10 best-selling brands in 2023, nor did it make the list of best-reviewed RVs on RV Insider, although the relatively lower sales might be due to the high price point of most Airstream trailers. Plus, the brand has also won over 20 RVDA awards over the past decade, so in no way is it the absolute worst RV on the market.

Fleetwood

Fleetwood is one of a handful of brands owned by REV Group Inc., which also owns big names like Holiday Rambler and American Coach. However, neither Fleetwood nor its parent company appeared on Consumer Affairs' top RV manufacturers list for 2023.

There's nothing super polarizing in the reviews of Fleetwood RVs, though the company's factory warranty isn't very highly rated. Most reviewers on RV Insider had positive things to say about their Fleetwood RVs' livability, overall quality, floorplan, and the driving/towing experience. Negative reviews spotlighted service issues including a lack of support when under-warranty motorhomes experienced equipment failures. Though there are some pitfalls to owning a Fleetwood RV, RV Insiders considers Fleetwood one of its top 10 RV manufacturers.

Plus, despite the negativity on RV Insider, Fleetwood's parent company REV hasn't received many BBB complaints -- Fleetwood does not have its own business listing with the BBB. That could indicate that consumers' concerns are addressed before escalating to the point of public discourse, which helps balance out Fleetwood's lackluster reputation.

Winnebago

Winnebago has been around a long time and makes multiple relatively affordable camper vans, plus Class A and C motorhomes and travel trailers. It has changed a lot over the years, but the brand that owns the motorhome segment -- Winnebago Industries Inc. -- even collaborated on one of Toyota's earliest 4Runner models in the '80s. Since then, Winnebago has won a handful of RVIA and over 20 RVDA awards.

Given that background, it's not surprising that over 1,000 Winnebago reviews on RV Insider reflect consumers' general satisfaction with the brand. Winnebago isn't perfect, and neither is its warranty coverage, which is the primary complaint on RV Insider. One star reviews complain about manufacturing defects, leaks, and cheaply made materials and finishes, but these are an underwhelming amount of reviews compared to the positive ratings.

However, it may be worth noting that various consumer complaints reflect issues with getting Winnebago trailers and motorhomes repaired, even outside the warranty coverage. Multiple consumers said that shops refused to work on their Winnebagos, citing proprietary systems and underpayment from Winnebago in the case of warranty service. All that said, Winnebago also has relatively few BBB complaints, maintains an A+ rating, and is an accredited business. Plus, it squeaked onto Consumer Affairs' report as the 10th best-selling RV brand in 2023.

Palomino

Palomino, a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, manufactures towables including travel trailers and fifth wheels, plus cabover campers for trucks. While Palomino's parent company doesn't appear to have a BBB listing, Palomino itself does. While the company is not accredited, it doesn't have any reviews to speak of. On review site RV Insider, reviews are overall middling, but there aren't as many of them compared to some other brands. Still, there are more positive than negative reviews, with consumers praising Palomino for its usability and features.

However, negative reviews hint that overall quality is poor on Palomino trailers, and the star rating for the brand's warranty is also poor. Various one-star reviews for Palomino complain about leaks, various engineering and structural build issues, and failures that made owners' trailers unusable.

All that taken into account, Consumer Affairs still ranked Palomino ninth on its list of 10 best-selling RV brands in 2023. Given how many sales Palomino had to achieve that ranking, some of those consumer reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, with high sales, we can assume more consumers will have thoughts on the brand, whether good or bad.

Thor Motor Coach

Thor is the world's largest manufacturer of RVs and owns a bunch of brands, including Tiffin Motorhomes, Airstream, Heartland, Dutchmen, Jayco, and Keystone. Thor Motor Coach itself sells only motorhomes, specifically Class A, C, and B models.

Despite its wide stable of subsidiaries, the National RV Dealers Association (RVDA) has only awarded Thor Motor Coach one acknowledgment, and that was in 2013. Other brands owned by Thor have received dozens of awards from the RVDA. Not only that, but Thor Motor Coach has received dozens of BBB complaints with many owners reporting issues upon delivery of their RVs. Reviewers on RV Insider related issues with Thor's warranties and overall quality. However, that doesn't mean that a Thor motorhome is not a good buy overall, and the company is well known for its luxurious campervans.

In 2023, Thor Motor Coach was the eighth best-selling RV brand, with Thor Industries subsidiaries taking five of the 10 total spots. Although Thor Motor Coaches are not the best-performing Thor Industries product, they do fare better than Tiffin and Airstream in sales, which counts for something and helps boost Thor on our list.

Coachmen

Another subsidiary owned by Berkshire Hathaway -- via Forest River Inc. -- is Coachmen, a recognizable brand in the RVing industry that began back in the 1960s. Today, the company manufactures everything from motorhomes to fifth wheels to toy haulers, travel trailers, and even tent campers. Coachmen RVs receive overall decent reviews on RV Insider, with the lowest-reviewed areas being the factory warranty and overall quality. Negative reviews call out Coachmen for recalls, equipment failures, and poor construction methods and materials.

Positive reviews -- of which there are hundreds, far more than there are one-star reviews -- praise Coachmen for its family-friendly floorplans, longevity, and features. Unfortunately, Coachmen's parent company has very low customer reviews on BBB, though it seems that not all of the reviews are related to Coachmen specifically. Coachmen was also the seventh best-selling RV brand in 2023, and the juxtaposition of sales and reviews suggests that middling is an appropriate position for this group of RVs.

Heartland

If you're itching for a fifth-wheel to hook up to your brand-new tow-ready pickup truck, Heartland has plenty of options. Given how well Heartland RVs sell -- the company was sixth in the top 10 RV manufacturers in 2023 -- it's not entirely surprising that there are a decent amount of BBB reviews with both positive and negative sentiments. You might be spotting a trend here -- the more sales an RV has, the more negative and positive reviews we see. However, they won't always be balanced. Similarly, over 900 RV Insider reviews mostly reflect consumer complaints, which isn't unexpected for one of the best-selling RV brands out there.

Complaints mostly center on the factory warranty from Heartland, as well as the quality of consumers' RVs. Positive reviews center on the RVs' floor plans and features. Heartland has also received some industry attention over the years; the brand has earned various awards from the RVDA. It is also on RV Insider's list of the top 10 RV manufacturers. Sales, reviews, and awards amount to a middling-to-good ranking for Heartland.

Dutchmen

Dutchmen was another Thor Industries entry on Consumer Affairs' list of the 10 best-selling RVs in 2023. Like other top-selling brands, Dutchmen has a mixed bag of reviews on RV Insider. In general, consumers generally seem happy with Dutchmen RVs' livability, floorplans, and towing.

What consumers don't love about Dutchmen trailers is the overall quality and the factory warranty. Dutchmen has numerous negative reviews, but that could be attributed to the high sales figures for the brand. After all, only those consumers who feel supremely positive or overwhelmingly negative about their ownership experience are apt to leave a review leaning either way. Plus, despite some negativity, Dutchmen isn't rated terribly overall on RV Insider.

RVDA has also awarded Dutchmen a handful of accolades over the years, suggesting that the brand is doing a few things right when it comes to manufacturing recreational vehicles and servicing customers. Given the balance of Dutchmen's high sales figures, earned awards, and reviews, it's not the worst RV brand on the market, but it also couldn't surpass some bigger-name favorites, either.

Jayco

Jayco offers a broad range of RV types, sizes, and prices. Ranking fourth on Consumer Affairs' top-10 list from 2023, Jayco is a best-selling brand with a lot going for it.

Based on over 1,000 consumer reviews on RV Insider, Jayco RVs are far more likely to receive positive feedback versus negative. However, that doesn't mean there are no complaints about the manufacturer. As appears typical in the RV industry, Jayco's overall quality lost a couple of stars due to customer complaints about build quality. Jayco has a similarly low factory warranty rating from consumers, which also isn't surprising given how many RVers lament the lack of warranty coverage across all brands.

Conversely, Jayco has also earned many awards, and has racked up the most RVDA awards of any RV brand with over 40. Plus, despite over 100 BBB complaints, Jayco is responsive to consumer concerns and maintains an A BBB rating, although it's not accredited. Finally, Jayco is one of RV Insider's top 10 RV manufacturers based on reviews, suggesting Jayco has earned its place near the top of our rankings.

Grand Design

Winnebago Industries Inc. doesn't have a pristine reputation in the RVing world, but its subsidiary Grand Design appears to fare much better. While there's nothing outright terrible about Winnebago based on consumer reviews, Grand Design ranks higher. The subsidiary was Winnebago Industries Inc.'s best-selling brand for 2023, ranking third on Consumer Affairs' list.

RV Insider reviews suggest that Grand Design isn't perfect, with the expected factory warranty complaints and quality concerns. Grand Design is, however, another of RV Insider's top 10 manufacturers, and it has over five times as many five-star reviews as one-star reports. Consumers seem to be thrilled with Grand Design overall, no matter which platform you check it out on.

BBB complaints also have not dragged Grand Design's reputation down, as the BBB gives it an A+ based on proactive responses to complaints. As far as awards go, Grand Design has earned a handful from RVDA over the last few years, making it a respected name in the towable RV category. Since towable RVs made up the most RVs sold in 2023, that puts Grand Design in a good spot sales-wise.

Keystone

Keystone was Thor Industries' best-selling RV brand in 2023, and it does seem like its RVs are ubiquitous across the United States. Like other big brands, Keystone has thousands of reviews on RV Insider, and RV owners are not shy about voicing complaints here and there about the warranty coverage and overall quality of Keystone.

The relatively few negative reviews online center on equipment failures, while positive reviews praise the layout and functionality of Keystone RVs. Like other best-selling RVs, Keystone has more positive reviews on RV Insider than it does negative ones. Assuming that a higher volume of sales means an uptick in both criticism and compliments, the numbers on RV Insider make sense.

On that same note, Keystone's BBB complaints are logical within the high-sales context. After all, the more people buy a Keystone, the more opinions there will be. Yet, despite having more than 100 complaints on the BBB site, Keystone has an A+ rating. The rating suggests that Keystone addresses consumer issues promptly, plus the company is accredited. Both details reinforce its good reputation. Not only that, but RV Insider also ranks Keystone comfortably within its top ten manufacturers based on reviews.

Forest River

Forest River, a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, has many lightweight trailers you can even tow with a Tesla. Forest River was the top best-selling brand in 2023, which gives context for the over 3,000 RV Insider reviews. Assuming the volume of reviews is due, in part, to the massive amount of sales Forest River enjoys each year, a few hundred negative reviews are to be expected.

While Forest River also has the most BBB complaints of any RV manufacturer, the fact that it outsold all the others might offer some perspective. Forest River also has an A+ rating -- although it's not accredited -- which means the company generally addresses consumer complaints and has transparent business practices. What's more, Forest River as a brand also has a positive reputation in the industry. Representatives from Forest River have received various awards from the RV Industry Association (RVIA) over the years, and RV Insider counts Forest River as a top 10 entry for the review site.

Although there's no guarantee your Forest River rig will never have a recall or experience an equipment failure, you'll be in good company with plenty of other happy owners.

Methodology

The top 10 best recreational vehicles on our list are ranked using 2023 sales data from Consumer Affairs. Non best-selling yet still well-known brands are ranked based on notoriety in the RVing industry, the amount and type of feedback given by consumers, rankings on RV Insider, and recalls, depending on which data was available.

Consumer reviews from RV Insider also illustrate consumers' perceptions of RV brand quality. However, we report those figures with a grain of salt due to the volume of RV sales versus the number of reviews provided by consumers. Finally, where applicable, we have cited RVIA and RVDA awards to further support our ranking.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.