I've owned our Outdoors RV (ORV) trailer now for two years, it hasn't been terrible but it isn't the shining example of Quality either. Where they've really started to miss the mark is in customer service. We purchased a 2019 model year 23DBS, new in July of 2019. If you have done any research you'll see that ORV has had a cult-like following and a past reputation for top notch customer support and quality of build. Over the past few years an obvious trend has started to take shape evident in Owners Forums and Social Media groups: Increasing frequency and severity of quality escapes, build issues, and customer service in sharp decline.
In almost two years of owning the trailer I've called and emailed Todd Morton (Assistant Service Manager) at least a handful of times related to issues that the dealer was having challenges resolving (odd smells, electrical issues, problems with fan, etc). He never once returned my calls, he would not answer the phone. He ONLY returned emails with very abrupt replies, clearly not wanting to be helpful or supportive. Broken record response: "talk to your local dealer." When I requested they approve a mobile rv tech to diagnose and troubleshoot my issue he declined my request and told me to go back to the only dealer in town (who we had already been to multiple times and admitted they could not resolve our issue). My experience with Todd is consistent - he wants to get you and your problem off of his plate as quickly as possible. If it's a quick fix, he will do the minimum possible and to some he looks like a hero. If it requires any research or critical thought - he will deflect and dodge. I've corroborated my observations with multiple other owners in the owners' forums and groups but few have raised their voice publicly for fear of being ostracized from the "Enthusiast" community.
At some point in the last several months ORV has pivoted away from taking direct customer calls for help and decentralized / delegated all customer support out to their dealer network. In other words, if you have a problem - "don't call us, call your dealer." This is a significant change in customer care strategy, and not a good one.
I know of their new policy so a week ago I had placed an order for the parts through my local ORV dealer (there is only one in the Phoenix Area). The parts guy at my dealership called me in to pick up the parts. He had placed an order into ORV with my VIN number and trailer info to get the exact parts I needed. The part that came back does not match the color or design of the broken latch on my kitchen slide. He was at a loss for how to resolve so I forwarded the photos of the part I needed along with the email chain to Todd Morton. Todd replied back and said I needed to return to the dealer (there's that broken record again) I guess he didn't read or understand my email. So I replied back requesting his support and assistance in helping the dealer find the correct part, explaining they already tried that. He replied back with a snarky and unprofessional email that I should just look to the Forums or YouTube for help.
It appears that ORV has rested their laurels on earlier years' past performance and perhaps in their attempt to keep up with volume of demand (increased production) and a weak labor force has resulted in a lower quality product and a decline in customer service. We were looking at upgrading to a larger unit in the next year or so, but I will no longer be considering Outdoors RV and can no longer recommend them to anyone until I see a notable change in their approach to customer service and holding their employees accountable to a higher standard. ORV puts a premium price on their units, but the price is no longer reflective of a premium product and customer service. read more