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Old 04-13-2015, 04:11 PM   #1
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Brand: Still Looking
Model: Travato
State: Florida
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THOR #1765
Vegas Fender Skirt Issue

I ran across the attached picture and decided to write a post warning about a potentially dangerous situation that happened to me when I first picked up my Vegas about a year ago. As I was driving home on a busy four lane expressway (Florida's Turnpike), I heard a loud noise coming from the right front tire area. I immediately pulled off the road and found that the right front fender skirt had partially torn off and was rubbiing between the tire and firewall. The plastic fender skirt had torn out of the art bottom screw and then tore out if the middle skrew, leaving it flapping. This happened, I believe, because when it was installed the screw was not tightened all the way down and the movement of the skirt in the wind cracked the screw hole and it failed. I was lucky that I did not shred a tire and have a blowout. It was bad enough taking the remaining front screw out and taking the skirt off before I could proceed. Thor sent me a new skirt and when I installed it, I replaced all the automotive screws with stainless screws, washers and/or bolts with double washers and nuts where I could. I also added two more screws or bolts an each skirt, bring the total on each skirt to five. When I replaced the original screws I found that one other fender skirt had a cracked screw hole in the same place that failed. I added a little pice of fiberglass cloth and resin behind that screw hole and drilled a new one. I have checked the fenders regularity since then and I have not had any other problems. It might be a good idea to check and see if your fender skirt scew holes are cracked. As you can see from the attached photo Thor did a "wonderful" job finishing the area under the fender skirt. I had to add several blocks of wood under skirts to have something to attach the screws to.
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Old 04-13-2015, 05:16 PM   #2
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THOR #937
Also, keep in mind that simply running over any road debris, (tire retreads are the worst), can knock off your skirts.
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Old 04-13-2015, 06:59 PM   #3
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THOR #1765
That certainly is possible. However the second skirt with a similar crack and the fact that the screw where the skirt ripped out was not tightened in all the way, indicated to me that this was an installation issue.
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Old 04-14-2015, 12:25 PM   #4
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THOR #1075
I lost a fender skirt this winter. i had assumed vandalism as I know I didn't scrape or hit it with anything. When a local body shop reinstalled it they didn't say anything about poor installation. I guess I better look at the other side now.
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Old 04-21-2015, 10:02 PM   #5
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THOR #1466
It seems, oneilkeys, that you are re-engineering your Vegas just like I am. When I get our Vegas back from the shop for the 12th time, I will check the inner fenders. I have had to: re-hang the drawer slides properly, one screw per slide just wont do, tighten all the water connections, remove the tail-light assemblies, dry out the cavity, repair the already rotted plywood substrate, and re-seal the lights properly, re-caulk the shower wall panels, clean all the sawdust and woodchips from beneath the cabinet drawers, re-hang properly, the overhead cabinet door struts that all fell out because the pivot point was in direct contact with the cabinet wood with no washer or isolator to prevent the wood from abrading and the strut pooping off, attaching all the loose, hanging wiring beneath the coach with zip-ties. Some of the wires were abraded from contact with moving tires. I also had to adjust the front hood hinge assembly locking mechanisms, and lube the hinge hardware. The list goes on, I am afraid.
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Old 04-22-2015, 12:22 AM   #6
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THOR #1765
Your list looks very similar to mine. I did most of those a year ago, when I first got the Vegas. Luckily, we really like it anyway, but if you are not a little handy and like to work on things, you could be very unhappy. I've owned and worked on boats for the past 40 years and this is no different. At least if something goes wrong you can pull it to the side of the road and call AAA.
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Old 04-22-2015, 02:58 PM   #7
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THOR #1579
Re-engineering THOR Miramar 34.2

We have a 2014 THOR Miramar 34.2. Bought it used in January 2015.
I have been re-engineering and fixing "stupid" ever since. Eventually I will make it dependable and do what THOR should have done when it was manufactured.
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Old 04-22-2015, 11:40 PM   #8
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THOR #1765
If my history is any guide, it will be a continuing battle.
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Old 04-23-2015, 01:32 AM   #9
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It seems to me that the dopes who design these machines do not camp. They could not possibly have a clue how RVers actually use and live in the coaches they produce. Why, in Gods name, would you put the antenna booster way in back in the top cabinet, where it cannot be seen or activated without a stepstool? I had several RVs some pretty old, that had the booster located right next to the co-ax plug where the TV was located. How ingenious! The exterior AC outlets are mounted so that you must get on your knees to see which way to plug in cords. The water tank fill is on the curb side for some inexplicable reason. I am going to plumb a tank filler at the tank with a T and a valve, so I can just flip the valve from the inside to fill the tank. I cut that big panel in half over the tank and water pump and put it on a piano hinge to make this extra space more accessible. I also built a shelf over the water pipes for extra storage. There is no place to store the sewer hose, so I decided to go with a macerator that stores in its own box. Thor was unable to send the correct tire valve extenders, so the factory rep authorized me to get them fixed myself, and send The bill to Thor. Its only taken 6 months to get to this point, but I will take whatever solution I can get. The fellow I have been in contact with several times has, in fairness been as helpful as he could be considering the company he has to work for. I don't know at this point if we will keep the Vegas. It is a shame, because we do like the way it handles, the decent gas mileage and the general comfort of this coach. My wife wants to trade for an Airstream. Although, Airstream is now owned by Thor, it seems Airstream quality is still their forte. My brother has one and loves it. One reason to keep the Vegas is the fact we spent several thousand dollars getting our PT Cruiser convertible towable, with the tranny pump, brake system and Blue Ox system. It is something to think about. Most of the issues I have experienced are the same as other Vegas/Axis owners. But a few I have not had the pleasure of yet, but I am waiting for them. The warranty is now expired, so I hope all the bonehead issues have been corrected.
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Old 11-04-2016, 04:04 AM   #10
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THOR #1961
Body Trim & Cabinet Slides

I read the posts previous to mine so I know I am trouble. The kitchen cabinet slides which are not only to support the drawers but keep them closed when driving are starting to fail.The curved bottom piece of the body trim between the front and rear wheels has stated to come loose and is now held in place with duct tape.

Any suggestions on how to fix both these issues? My former RV went 120,000 miles over 17 years and never had such problems. Wish I had it back.
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Old 11-04-2016, 12:03 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingVehicle
The kitchen cabinet slides which are not only to support the drawers but keep them closed when driving are starting to fail.
Could you describe in more detail how they are failing?

The side rails don't hold the drawers in on the Axis/Vegas units, they have latches at the top that hold the drawers closed--like this guy: Heavy duty push latch. I've already had to replace one in my Axis.

Also note: Pull out the kitchen drawers and look at the back: The rails are left/right adjustable in the back (in my case on one of my drawers the factory didn't tighten the screw all the way in and the rail was pulling away from the drawer; a quick hit with a screwdriver fixed that--you may want to remove the screw entirely, dip it in wood glue and screw it back in to keep it from getting loose again in the future--something I do to all the screws in the camper.)
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Old 11-04-2016, 12:07 PM   #12
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THOR #4366
Quote:
Originally Posted by davidgebo View Post
It seems, oneilkeys, that you are re-engineering your Vegas just like I am. When I get our Vegas back from the shop for the 12th time, I will check the inner fenders. I have had to: re-hang the drawer slides properly, one screw per slide just wont do, tighten all the water connections, remove the tail-light assemblies, dry out the cavity, repair the already rotted plywood substrate, and re-seal the lights properly, re-caulk the shower wall panels, clean all the sawdust and woodchips from beneath the cabinet drawers, re-hang properly, the overhead cabinet door struts that all fell out because the pivot point was in direct contact with the cabinet wood with no washer or isolator to prevent the wood from abrading and the strut pooping off, attaching all the loose, hanging wiring beneath the coach with zip-ties. Some of the wires were abraded from contact with moving tires. I also had to adjust the front hood hinge assembly locking mechanisms, and lube the hinge hardware. The list goes on, I am afraid.
Still have to vacuum the debris left from the build, got most of the wiring done. Installed real battery hold down brackets instead of the straps I could never get tight.
Have to adjust the hood yet and install the clamps I picked up on Wed to clamp a dangling LP line.
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Old 11-04-2016, 01:54 PM   #13
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THOR #1961
Interesting about the latch. I don't think my Axis has latches, but I will dig in and see. Are they at the front or rear of the drawer? Only one drawer has this problem at the time, so I am leaning towards your analysis.
Thanks
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Old 11-04-2016, 01:56 PM   #14
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THOR #1961
Oops, posted my reply to the wrong post. Are the latches at the front or rear of the drawer? Thanks
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Old 11-04-2016, 04:05 PM   #15
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THOR #1150
Quote:
Originally Posted by SailingVehicle
Are the latches at the front or rear of the drawer?
On my Axis the male end of the latch is on the inside top of the drawer face and the female part is on the top front of the cabinetry, you can easily see them when you open the drawer.

For all I know Thor switched to a different design later--ours is a very early Axis.
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Old 11-04-2016, 05:06 PM   #16
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Model: Windsport
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THOR #3918
Latches

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post
On my Axis the male end of the latch is on the inside top of the drawer face and the female part is on the top front of the cabinetry, you can easily see them when you open the drawer.

For all I know Thor switched to a different design later--ours is a very early Axis.
I called Thor and they sent me six latches without any problems.

Kev
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