New purchase question

RVNEWB · 05-19-2018, 11:11 PM

Hello guys, my wife and I are new to the RV world having never owned one. We are seriously considering a 2018 Thor Windsport 35M from our local dealer. However, a little research online has produced mostly negative reviews for Thor. Can you guys give me some opinions on the the Thor brand, maybe Windsport in particular? I would hate to drop around 100K on something that gives me nothing but problems!
Thanks.

lazinskm · 05-19-2018, 11:35 PM

Buy a used one most issues come new from the factory. Let someone else figure those out. And find a good independent repair guy.

Bob Denman · 05-20-2018, 12:04 AM

All forums are full of horror stories.

But the "Happy Campers" are too busy to post much!

EVMIII · 05-20-2018, 12:25 AM

If you read the feedback/forums on any RV maker you would be hesitant to buy one and you'd be missing the opportunity. Expect some poor workmanship and some problems in a new unit, but work through them and enjoy years of relatively problem free years. Like mentioned, if you can find a used one that you like you can save a few dollars and hopefully the guy before you fixed all the problems. I just traded in a 4 year old 5ver that I had all the bugs worked out (almost all under warranty), next guy is getting a great rig. Just started working the issues with my 2018 ACE 29.4, but I understand what I was getting into and have a local service department that I can work with. Go into it with yours eyes wide open and enjoy. Good luck.

Kev · 05-20-2018, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVNEWB

Hello guys, my wife and I are new to the RV world having never owned one. We are seriously considering a 2018 Thor Windsport 35M from our local dealer. However, a little research online has produced mostly negative reviews for Thor. Can you guys give me some opinions on the the Thor brand, maybe Windsport in particular? I would hate to drop around 100K on something that gives me nothing but problems!
Thanks.

I have a 2018 Thor Windsport 31S and can only speak regarding my experience.
We love our unit and yes we have had fit and finish issues. Nothing that stopped us from using the coach. All issues have been taken care of under warranty by Thor and the dealer. I like buying new because you have the protection of the warranty, not buying someone else’s headache, and I really take care of my vehicles from day one and keep up on all maintenance. From what I have read here it appears that the dealer can make or break your experience so choose a dealer carefully that has a good reputation. Hope this helps and good luck.

bigben · 05-20-2018, 02:15 AM

Sound advise all from the other posters. Virtually all RV manufacturers have issues with their manufacturing processes. So best advise I can offer is eyes wide open. Shop price (sale and service are two totally different issues), inspect in detail, then don't turn over the $s till the list is cleared.

I am going to do a copy/paste here from another thread with a process we've used. It is not good that you must get this involved but unfortunately I don't see an alternative.

"I was a motor officer in a mech unit while serving in the US Army for more years than I care to think about and it is the process I used in there. It is sorta like Ronald Reagan said "trust but verify". Here is what I recommend:

You must be your own best advocate with Consumer Service Reps. Start that process trying to understand what is wrong - note this not always what is broken - and then what needs to be done to repair. If you've got a local service center that can do the work, give them a call AND THEN CALL THOR CSR. If you cannot find someone that can do the work, GIVE THOR CSR A CALL. Most times they can help find someone to do the repair. Don't stop there. Find out from service exactly what it is, that is going to be repaired and ask the question about status of parts. Then call Thor CSRs to confirm the status of the repair to make sure the service center and Thor agree. Repair information like - when will parts be shipped, received, installed and finished. If you cannot get fairly specific info, chances are your repair is what the tech industry use to call "Vapor" - not really there.

Lots of horror stories on on-line forums of folks that leave their coach at repair for days, weeks, months only to not get repair done.

The process above is what we used and Thor always came through for us on everything from leveling system overall to blown out window."

Hope this helps

BradnKaren · 05-20-2018, 04:09 PM

We love Thor and our Challenger! We are 16 months into it. We have some experience behind us that helps. First, this is our 4th motor home in 20 years. First brand new one. Even used units will almost always have something that needs repair or replacement at any given moment. There's a lot going on in that rolling house on wheels! We've done and seen almost everything regarding RV repairs, from replacing the cooler in the Norcold fridge to a complete replacement of a roof. It helps if you're handy. If not, find a good RV repair service.

As Bigben stated, being your own advocate is necessary when dealing with any manufacturer and warranty work. We decided early on that we would never leave our RV on any dealer lot. If you need warranty work, take it to the dealer to document everything. Make an appointment to have the work done. Take your RV home until the work is authorized by Thor and the parts are in hand at the dealer. Stay with the RV until the work is completed. A waiting customer gets priority in the service dept over an RV sitting on their lot.

Keep in close contact with Thor. Develop a relationship with your contact. If a dealer tells you they're waiting on authorization and/or parts from Thor, call Thor to confirm. Most times dealers use that tactic to postpone your repairs for whatever reason, when in fact we have found that they have both authorization and parts for all work. Once the work is completed, don't leave until everything has been tested by you and the repair confirmed.

Good luck! It's almost a full time job owning and maintaining an RV, but the lifestyle and memories are worth it!

Travelin' Texans · 05-20-2018, 05:22 PM

Whether you buy new or used, if you're not somewhat of a handyman, have tools, with basic knowledge of electrical/plumbing systems then you may not enjoy the experience of rv ownership as there WILL always be something needing attention.
I'm not trying to discourage you from buying & hope you do & have good luck & enjoy the lifestyle as much as we have for 40+ years. Just realize if you can't take care of the small stuff that comes up your rv will spend much more time at a dealership "waiting" for something than you enjoying it.
You need to shop the service side of the dealership more carefully than the sales side, a trained chimp can sell them, but do they have anybody that can work on them in a timely matter.

lazinskm · 05-20-2018, 06:15 PM

Did we scare him yet? [emoji33]

bigben · 05-20-2018, 06:16 PM

I'm sensing a common theme here about buying your motorhome and follow on service. We have had our Challenger for 3 years and 44k miles. This will be the 4th summer that at least 3 of our grandchildren have spent traveling across United States with us. Hard to put a dollar sign value on that experience.

You can search this forum to see some of the problems and resolutions that I've had with our coach. Again worth every moment in dollars and cents. I am fairly handy with tools. And it helps to keep the coach on the road and sharing our life with our grandchildren.

Beau388 · 05-20-2018, 06:35 PM

Thor Industries has 17 manufacturing plants. Plant 750 only builds ACE, Hurricane and Windsports, so you can disregard others complaints as each plant is operated as an entity. Plants 750 produces from 14 to 18 coaches a day, so if 50 coaches produced a year have problems that would be less that 3% of the total. As said, a good dealer will correct 80% of the factory's major defects. I would never buy from a dealer would not let you spend at least 24 hours in the coach before you leave the lot.

Our Hurricane has 23,000+ miles on it in the 2.5 years we have owned it. (bought it new from MHSRV). It has been back to the dealer twice for accident body damage. The coach was repaired to my satisfaction both times. So far nothing has broken, failed to work or fallen off.

Muggs · 05-20-2018, 07:11 PM

The forums always highlight the issues first as many, justifiably vent.

Our unit had less than 400 miles use by previous owner and has been trouble free. Any issue was from use or stupidity and I corrected. We are very happy with both dealer/Thor experience.

That said I personally know of real issues with 3 different brands (1 Thor) that seemed very excessive. This does make us hesitant to go bigger. Not sure if we were lucky or problems are just a small fraction. More so because we were real green buying it as first timers.

Do not hesitate to ask questions and test everything when you are ready.

Pete'sMH · 05-20-2018, 07:33 PM

Personally I think a person can worry themselves sick reading online reviews of ANY product. RVs are complex and built to a price point, Thor especially, builds entry and mid level products. (You wouldn’t think so at $100,000 but you certainly can spend double that for a surprisingly similar coach). It is nearly certain that there will be shake down issues to be addressed. They can be frustrating but if you are handy you can probably fix most or all of them yourself. And once fixed, as mentioned above, your coach will probably give you years of good service. It’s also important to note that Thor is mostly an assembler of products rather than a manufacturer. This helps because most of the individual components carry their own warranty and have customer service people that (in my experience) are eager to help.

I would not hesitate to buy another Thor product. Good luck!

jpmihalk · 05-20-2018, 10:27 PM

Lots of good info so far. We have the older brother of the model you are looking at, the 35C. The difference is we have a shower mid and storage/washer/dryer in back as opposed to the rear full bath of the 35M. We have been very happy with our Hurricane (same as Windsport, just different badging and colors) and as others have said, the dealer can make a difference. Ours went back for service twice and both were relatively minor things (rear ladder was loose, awning lights were out, radio power went out.) In all cases the dealer took care of us under warranty in one day and had us back on the road. We have now had her for over two years and 25K miles.

Yes, it is a big investment. But the Windsport/Hurricane line isn't a premium product by RV standards. They do share many of the same parts as high end units as pretty much there are only so many suppliers of RV parts and appliances. You will probably find some trim that doesn't fit perfectly or some extra screws laying around. Keep your eyes open for show stoppers that can affect the functions and usability of the RV and insist on a test drive.

Best of luck to you! Hope it all works out!

vkb · 05-20-2018, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVNEWB

Hello guys, my wife and I are new to the RV world having never owned one. We are seriously considering a 2018 Thor Windsport 35M from our local dealer. However, a little research online has produced mostly negative reviews for Thor. Can you guys give me some opinions on the the Thor brand, maybe Windsport in particular? I would hate to drop around 100K on something that gives me nothing but problems!
Thanks.

We agree with comments from others ... We bought our Axis new in 2016..had one problem the first week due to a dealer stealing a part !! Thor did a great build on our Axis. Too bad you are not looking for a smaller unit.. we have decided to downsize due to age related issues.

Ron sez to tell you...he is in agreement with those who suggest purchasing a used coach...it is hard to go wrong if you see it is obvious it is well taken care of and has relatively low mileage.

enjoy ! K

Mr Sunshine · 05-21-2018, 12:13 AM

Before you buy, rent a coach and take a little trip. You'll learn a lot about what works for you and you must have in an RV. Try to rent a rig similar to the one you are considering. Renting isn't cheap, but could save you a big chunk of change from buying the wrong unit.

We had a 33' gas coach for a few years, and found we could get by with something smaller. Some have had smaller and found that they wanted bigger. The right RV for us has changed as the years and our travel styles evolved. If you don't really need the 2nd bathroom, that

Another thing to consider, especially with a new coach. Dealers tend to push a 20 year loan with a low down payment. The result is you are upside down from day 1 (meaning you owe more than the value). You need to budget for modifications and for repairs after the warranty expires, including new tires in about 5 years.

Keep asking questions here, your friends here have made all the mistakes, myself included. They can help you make good decisions.

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