Quality Control of Thor

[m1noel]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

They could just watch this too:

A little too late for those of us on this forum.

[steve76]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

They could just watch this too:

Wow, I wish I could have watched this before I bought. Lot's of sensible advice. I bought new, but maybe should have bought used a couple years and let someone else handle a lot of new coach issues.

[Travelin' Texans]

We looked at used, several in fact & 2 things were found to be problem in all of them; #1 - apparently the previous owners didn't know how to properly care for the black/grey holding tanks & stunk horribly inside the rv, #2 - 95% of rvers have a pet/pets & all either smelled like they left the litter box behind or a pile of dog crap hidden somewhere & forgot #3 - smokers, even when they assured you it was a nonsmokers rv, I can fix most anything on the rv but the soaked in stinks.

[KNK]

I agree with Travelin', we also looked at used RV's and found the same issues. We actually found one that was 1 yr old with a list of items that didn't work that the owner had hand written. I found their address, out of FL, and was going to contact them about their experience but it looked like someone had taken items from the RV.

I've also watched the Lehto videos. I still believe a lot of the quality control falls on the dealerships, right or wrong. I think we had great dealer that made sure our ACE was road ready when we left the lot.

[petew]

We have purchased two new RV's in the past 15 months.
The first one was sold privately at the one year mark and we took what I would describe as a relatively small loss considering what we paid initially and the fun we had with it in that year.

The second one was purchased at a considerable savings of 30% off of msrp and we love it . Point is these things make no sense , like a boat, motorcycle or any other toy the money you spend on them is probably best left in the bank.
With that said we have a hell of a good time with our rv and vacations are much more fun with it not to mention more frequent.

Life is to short to take an accountants view of these things , I would rather enjoy the time in our rv with family and pets exploring the countryside.

I also prefer new for the reasons already mentioned and many others.

[DogLovers]

Originally Posted by Travelin' Texans

We looked at used, several in fact & 2 things were found to be problem in all of them; #1 - apparently the previous owners didn't know how to properly care for the black/grey holding tanks & stunk horribly inside the rv, #2 - 95% of rvers have a pet/pets & all either smelled like they left the litter box behind or a pile of dog crap hidden somewhere & forgot #3 - smokers, even when they assured you it was a nonsmokers rv, I can fix most anything on the rv but the soaked in stinks.

I hear you on this post. That's why we don't smoke, no damn cats and our puppies are cleaner than most people.

[mountainsam]

I agree there are serious QC issues with Thor. Other companies I can not offer an opinion except for the fact that our old fifth wheel (2013 FR Rockwood) seemed solid as a rock. We had no issues other than the microwave and the furnace. Those were warrantee items through their manufacturer. 3 years and not once back to the shop.

Better material and better QC would probably go a long way to reduce their expenses of warentee repairs and improving Customer Relations.

I do like our 23TR Gemini but do see it will require steady repairs inside on cabinets, doors and drawers.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by DogLovers

I hear you on this post. That's why we don't smoke, no damn cats and our puppies are cleaner than most people.

Amen...

[airforceret]

RVs that stink are related to lack of cleaning... Has nothing to do with smokers, pets or the likes. I smoked 3 packs a day and owned a dog who traveled everywhere with me. Of the 6 RVs I've sold not one person has commented about smoke or pet odors. If you keep them clean they don't smell. Simple fact. Most of the used ones I walked away from was directly related to lack of cleanliness.

Oh yeah... and Thor customer care still sucks and so does Tiara RV Sale in Elkhart, Indiana. I continue to be polite and honest yet they still refuse to work with me. #ThorLacksIntegrity

[DogLovers]

Everyone seems to agree on one thing, Thor has a good product after you buy it and spend 12 months getting construction and quality issues fixed (some by you). What if one day a thousand or more Thor owners decided to simply show up at Thor's factory HQ in Elkhart? Motorhomes, Travel trailers and Fifth wheels of all sorts.

And what if the owners had taken home made banners and taped them on the sides of their RV's with popular sayings like, "brand new fixed 12 times in first year", "Thor refuses to repair", "dealer repair has this more than I do", "What junk Thor makes", "soon as you pay you're forgotten", "roof leaked on first trip", "TV fell off the wall", and a plethora of other poor quality and workmanship issues we all know about from reading posts?

Never mind the traffic problems the city of Elkhart would have with Thor owners lumbering slowly down every street in town, clogging the side roads, parking lots, parks and public areas and the area around Thor's HQ for blocks in every direction. What do you think the news media would do with that? My guess is Thor would be on every major media station. Perhaps (or most likely for sure) local media would interview some RV owners and hear first hand some of the issues we have all had to unreasonably deal with after buying a Thor product.

It's my opinion Thor stock would take a major hit. Fat cats in the big office are going to be upset they can't leave and play golf. It's also my opinion the government would be listening and hear the consumers outcry and begin looking at legislation to force RV makers to improve.

Lets talk about this. What would be the best time in 2018???

[axis earl]

Pete,
Your comments sound like a discussion I had with a friend when we purchased our Axis. Financially, a RV makes about as much sense as buying some a brand new dealer lifted race truck.... Financially, it makes more sense to sit on your rocker and watch RV shows and pretend. Then again, we are blessed to the point where we can get on the road with our tinkered with RVs and see this great country.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by DogLovers

Everyone seems to agree on one thing, Thor has a good product after you buy it and spend 12 months getting construction and quality issues fixed (some by you). What if one day a thousand or more Thor owners decided to simply show up at Thor's factory HQ in Elkhart? Motorhomes, Travel trailers and Fifth wheels of all sorts.

And what if the owners had taken home made banners and taped them on the sides of their RV's with popular sayings like, "brand new fixed 12 times in first year", "Thor refuses to repair", "dealer repair has this more than I do", "What junk Thor makes", "soon as you pay you're forgotten", "roof leaked on first trip", "TV fell off the wall", and a plethora of other poor quality and workmanship issues we all know about from reading posts?

Never mind the traffic problems the city of Elkhart would have with Thor owners lumbering slowly down every street in town, clogging the side roads, parking lots, parks and public areas and the area around Thor's HQ for blocks in every direction. What do you think the news media would do with that? My guess is Thor would be on every major media station. Perhaps (or most likely for sure) local media would interview some RV owners and hear first hand some of the issues we have all had to unreasonably deal with after buying a Thor product.

It's my opinion Thor stock would take a major hit. Fat cats in the big office are going to be upset they can't leave and play golf. It's also my opinion the government would be listening and hear the consumers outcry and begin looking at legislation to force RV makers to improve.

Lets talk about this. What would be the best time in 2018???

This sounds like a "Mob Tactic"...
"Black Sabbath" said it best: "If you listen to fools: the mob rules!"

They'll note the demonstration with some curiosity, come have a nice chat with everyone, and then go back to business as usual...

https://youtu.be/fT-HYz2VnVw

[briosky2]

I just purchased a 2018 Palazzo in less then 24 hours it is broke down in my driveway unusable. Its not the motor or transmission. The slide outs are stuck open and will not close. Tried so many things from what the manual days to do and then tried google searches with no luck. The manual override is not working as well. Then I started to find more and more little things wrong. The shower door wont close, noticed it during delivery the dealer said they would fix it before finishing the purchase paper work. Got home and I opened it and it would not close. The door is not parallel to the floor. Dirt and debris keep coming out of the AC vents, found a window handle was broken and left in place till it fell off. The front windshield night shade has stopped working twice and needs to be reprogrammed every time. I read a lot of posts in this forum about the lack of quality control and I can assure you it is not getting better.

[steve76]

Yikes! Owned less than 24 hrs? Most certainly can understand the frustration and sorry for you. Maybe tomorrow morning when you get in touch with Dealer and/or Thor, they can help you with the slide problem. The other stuff is minor and almost any R.V. today seems to be lacking in quality control. When I bought my new Class C last year, had them add a couple things before I picked it up and did the PDI. Had a great big greasy boot print right on the drivers seat. They took care of it but the nerve to have a customer show up for a PDI and greasy foot print on the cloth drivers seat? I mean, come on knuckle heads. And, they seemed put out that I wouldn't do the final signing off on the PDI. Have had a few minor things I've fixed myself rather than bring it back to C.W. to park it for weeks, leave the coach battery use switch on to find dead batteries at pick up. I don't have much confidence in my C.W. dealership shop although anything major warranty, that's where it has to go.

[gator]

The dealerships are no better. I didn't purchase from our closest dealer because they wouldn't budge on price at all. We travelled a bit farther and found the right deal. Achieving warranty service was a joke. I called the dealers corporate office and they wouldn't help me because I purchased out of circuit, meaning there was a competitor closer to me. I was penalized for doing business with them. I can't fix a manufacturer or a dealership nor do I have time or inclination to do so. I do however have a choice in what and where I purchase. If there is another RV in our future it will not be purchased from that dealership nor will it have the four letters T H O R anywhere on it.

[RichS]

This is why I am keeping my 2016 Freedom Elite 28H. At least I know what I have and what I have fixed. It works for the wife and I. We are just weekend warriors. A newer unit would cost more money and another set of head aches.

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by briosky2

I just purchased a 2018 Palazzo in less then 24 hours it is broke down in my driveway unusable. Its not the motor or transmission. The slide outs are stuck open and will not close. Tried so many things from what the manual days to do and then tried google searches with no luck. The manual override is not working as well. Then I started to find more and more little things wrong. The shower door wont close, noticed it during delivery the dealer said they would fix it before finishing the purchase paper work. Got home and I opened it and it would not close. The door is not parallel to the floor. Dirt and debris keep coming out of the AC vents, found a window handle was broken and left in place till it fell off. The front windshield night shade has stopped working twice and needs to be reprogrammed every time. I read a lot of posts in this forum about the lack of quality control and I can assure you it is not getting better.

See if there is an RV repair business near you. I.e. one that fixes but doesn’t sell RVs. They’ll get your slide repaired and you can contact Thor about reimbursing you. I’ve not had to ask them for reimbursement but I’ve found them to be responsive courteous and helpful when I’ve had to contact them for parts and assistance. Thor makes entry level products but once you get the assembly bugs out I expect your coach will give you years of good service. Good luck.

[laberj45]

OMG.... I wish I had access to this Lehto's Law "Don't buy an RV" post before purchasing our 2017 Thor Miramar 34.3 with a defective full wall slide. Perhaps this post would have precipitated more personal research and subsequently uncovered the stories of Thor's poor quality control, poor customer satisfaction and lawsuit record.

I delight to see RVers getting info out on the net via forum posts, you tube and even personalized internet sites (which is what I did initially). If I had access to more info, I may spent a couple more bucks - and, quite frankly, might have went with the Tiffin Open Road class A. Available information suggests that I might not have been as likely to be caught in customer service/warranty issue with a Tiffin (and a salesman at a large reputable RV dealership in Virginia agreed).

BTW... RV lawsuits, as the youtube post suggests, are complex and expensive. The manufacturers do know what they can get away with (and hide this info in their owners manuals and contracts). We learned this the hard way as we lost a Connecticut venue issue and had to hire a second attorney in Indiana to sue Thor and Ally Financial. To add insult to injury, I was recently sent home from a military deployment due to high blood pressure (gee I wonder where that came from). This RV was supposed to be a stress reliever.....

Anyways - we hope that people continue to post objective RV purchase and warranty experiences to help inform buyers in making logical informed decisions. Lehto's Law "Don't buy an RV" is very accurate and I encourage all to LISTEN. He is right on the money! I watched this and was amazed how accurately he hits on ALL the same points that came up in our defective full wall slide lawsuit (which is in its 18th month now).

It is soooo disappointing to see RV buyers, like briosky2, upset with their new RV. And their experience seems to be happening over and over. RV buyer expectations are just simply falling short (and making seriously good RVing families angry). While I'll admit that my personal battle lies with Thor, it seems that customer dissatisfaction is happening across a larger and increasing RV spectrum (still.... Thor seems to be one of the top on this list for now).

I hope that we continue to see more valuable information sharing and less stories of RV dissatisfaction - as RVing is awesome! Good luck all!

[tigwelder]

Originally Posted by SuperD

Does Thor have quality issues, yes they do. Do other companies have quality issues, yes they do and some are much worse than Thor. If you think Thor is the only company with quality control problems then you haven't checked any of the other companies sites!

Quality control is an RV industry problem as a whole. Go to the Forest River or Tiffen sites, many, many problems noted, and Tiffen is supposed to be a better coach, NO.

i think he is talking about Thor why can't it just stay THOR.

[TurnerFam]

looking at the number of units shipped last year, and the units projected for this year in the RV industry, and if my math serves me correct, and while it 'sounds' like big number, it's actually less than 1 new RV in a 10square mile area, in the US.
Compare that to the 17,000 new cars/trucks sold last year, and projected higher this year as well, which would equate to almost 39 times as many.

of course, the numbers are subjective since it doesn't take into account those who 'already' own an RV and are trading, though the 'old' RV will now be on the used market...and some RVs start to be taken out of service, though I'm sure at a much slower rate. Cars and trucks are the same.
If you take into consideration the used car and truck market, then over 50,000,000 cars and trucks were 'sold' in the US last year...that's 50MILLION, used and new combined, as well as some being sold 'several' times in the same year(think of the 'buy here, pay here' market, repossessed vehicles and the auction market).

It's mind boggling ...

check my math : )