Thor reputation

john4108 · 01-10-2018, 11:38 PM

Why is it every mechanic that has worked on my Thor tell me my first problem is owning a Thor? To me it has poor workmanship.

BASSMAN · 01-10-2018, 11:53 PM

I install a solar kit on my 2017 Thor Axis 25.4, i checked with the dealer to get a paint code to match the color for some vents that had to be installed in the side cabinet doors, no luck so i called Thor customer support and got the most un porfessional and un informed person on the planet, i go back to the dealer and talk to the parts counter rep and he tells me that Thor is the worst business they have to deal with, they are a dealer for severl brands and he said Thor is always a nightmare, Quality is lacking, stuff you find later after you get a few miles on the coach, I bought this coach new and am in the process of replacing all the cheap cabinets with some quality real wood cabinets, as i pull out the original i weigh everything and then weigh the ones i am building, so far i have not added a single pound and have lost weigh in some places.

Travelin' Texans · 01-11-2018, 01:29 AM

If you're needing a "mechanic" then you should take it to a Ford dealer not a rv dealer.
If the dealer is selling several different brands & only complaining about Thor then it's like the old saying "if their lips are moving" as Thor is most likely the parent company of every one of those other brands, they own 80-85% of the rv industry.
The rv industry as a whole is high on sales & veeeeery low on quality control. The best thing you can do before buying is the check the track record o f your dealers service department, not the sales, as that's what you will be dealing with most.

Elcapitain · 01-11-2018, 01:53 AM

Recently purchased through CW of Syracuse NY. After realizing I will not go back to them for service I reached out to Thor. Upon contact, while recording our conversation, the person I spoke with was on his second to last day with Thor. He was very frank with me in that he explained the Syracuse CW as Thor's "Problem Child" his exact words. And went on to support Thor's customer service dept. He explained each squawk item listed for my vin number. Several squawk s had not been reported by CW whereby, my case for not using CW of Syr began.

After speaking with "Tony" I connected with a counterpart, Jamie. She explained that they would rather have me use a dealer service of my choice for warrantee work as they felt if I was good with them, they were, we'll see how that goes. Tomorrow I take the coach to the new service dept at the new dealer and procure an estimate to send back to Thor for approval...?!?!? Hoping these new folks are better than Syr. CW !

Locknut · 01-11-2018, 02:16 AM

The level of quality for RV manufacturers is fairly comparable across the board when comparing units that are similar in cost and design. None are as high quality as they should be, but that is an industry-wide situation.

However, the level of quality service provided by dealer service departments is all over the map...from totally atrocious to highly commendable.

So the lesson for all of us is to pick your dealer very, very carefully, find the coach that best meets your needs, do a thorough pre-delivery inspection to catch as many flaws as you can, and then cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Oh, and if you don't already own a good set of tools...buy one, lol.

john4108 · 01-11-2018, 02:19 AM

But if you moved from your dealer and your fulltimer. You have to find someone that will work on warranty issues. They say Thor takes to long to get paid

BASSMAN · 01-11-2018, 02:23 AM

I waited about 8 months before talking to my local dealer about some of the problems with the coach, No problems with the chassie, all coach, dealer tells me that i have to make an appotiment to have the problems looked at and then they would doucment and photograph the complaints and send them to Thor, Thor would accept or reject the complains based on the information the service writer provided, when i asked about the turn around time i said forget it and i would take care of the problems myself, i get home and do a goggle search on Thor and my local dealer and their rating were very poor for both the dealer and Thor, dealer was looking at a 60 to 90 day for a turnaround and their Yelp and Facebook pages were full of some very negative feedback, i am a retired mechanic and have been doing cabinet work for a hobby, not worth my time or gas taking it back and forth for repairs that are proably not going to be done to my satisfaction. unless i have a major problem with something like the roof air, fridge or generator i wll not bother taking it to the dealer.

Locknut · 01-11-2018, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john4108

But if you moved from your dealer and your fulltimer. You have to find someone that will work on warranty issues. They say Thor takes to long to get paid

But that is an industry-wide problem...not just with Thor. If you asked about another brand of similar price and design, you would probably get a similar response.

Pete'sMH · 01-11-2018, 02:48 AM

I’m not sure I’d even go back for roof air, fridge or generator. Thor is an assembler of those parts not the manufacturer. You should note that most of the components are covered by their individual manufacturer warranty. I believe you’d be better served by calling the, directly instead of hoping your dealer or even Thor will want to mediate on your behalf. Even better is to fix it yourself. SO many people here insist on going back to the dealer because, darn it, they should fix it. But it’s a sure recipient for frustration and disappointment. I, for one, don’t have time to be unhappy like that.

odell2115 · 01-11-2018, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

I’m not sure I’d even go back for roof air, fridge or generator. Thor is an assembler of those parts not the manufacturer. You should note that most of the components are covered by their individual manufacturer warranty. I believe you’d be better served by calling the, directly instead of hoping your dealer or even Thor will want to mediate on your behalf. Even better is to fix it yourself. SO many people here insist on going back to the dealer because, darn it, they should fix it. But it’s a sure recipient for frustration and disappointment. I, for one, don’t have time to be unhappy like that.

Certainly how I plan to handle it in the future. I agree totally.

Thehobe1 · 01-11-2018, 06:45 AM

I've had 2 RVs and both were just thrown together. Just to purchase the parts that one of these RVs have you would pay twice what the entire vehicle can be purchased for. Notice that they all use the same refers,ovens,generators,electrical panels,furniture, base chassis's, etc etc etc. These are relatively low volume vehicles without the investment needed to make them much better. The Mercedes RV's show just what can be done for fit and finish but you have to pay for it. You can still buy the Mercedes chassis with a box put on the back (Coachman Prism) for a very low cost but then you hace a similar product to the basic US made RVs. I paid a similar amount for a new 2017 Thor Vegas 25.2 than I paid for a 1999 30' Gulfstream class C coach without many of the new conveniences of the newer RVs-same E450 Ford chassis but no automatic awning, motorized lowering bed, LED lighting, dual house batteries, backup and L/R cameras, twin tables. 10% more money after 17 years of inflation! I did get a much better price on the new RV but drove it to California from Wisconsin.

JamieGeek · 01-11-2018, 12:51 PM

All of our interactions with Thor have been highly professional and courteous. They've answered all of my questions, sent me the drawings I requested, and when I took our unit to factory service in Wakarusa, IN they care that you are satisfied, walk you through everything they did and even fix some things that you didn't initially request.

(If you can make the trip to factory service I highly recommend it for any major repairs--or minor but if you're far away it wouldn't make sense to make the trip for minor repairs.)

SuperD · 01-11-2018, 12:57 PM

This is our second Thor coach! First coach was really trouble free, only a couple of VERY minor problems. Same with our current coach! I’ve parked next to owners of some high end coaches who said they’ve had to go back to the factory for repairs, complained loudly about lack of quality, and were generally pretty unhappy!

It’s not just Thor!!!

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