Thor Forums

[wayneroe]

Purchased our new 2017 Thor ACE 30.3 in mid-July and have had minor issues, but only been out on two trips. The first was a two-nighter close to home and then a two week trip of about 1400 miles. On the short two night functional shake down trip, the privacy window inside the main entry door window fell off and the San-T-Flush system flooded the bedroom and bathroom. Also, one of the screens above the sofa was loose and when I tried to put it back, noticed it did not have any mounting hardware on one end. Went to the dealer the day after I got back and was told the privacy window was installed backward (pebbled side adhered to the main window frame). They cleaned all the adhesive off the frame, put new adhesive on it and reinstalled it properly. They said they would repair the San-T-Flush system when I brought the unit in for its 45 day follow-up since it would probably require cutting into the wall to get to a faulty valve and replacing it.

When we took it in for the 45-day appointment (scheduled by them when we took delivery on the unit), they asked when I had a trip scheduled and I told them a week and a half later. They said they would call when it was ready for pick-up. I wondered why the date for my trip was important, since I already had an appointment for that day, made by them, to start work on any issues I had. That was my first mistaken assumption about RV ownership. Appointments, as it turns out, aren't really appointments to have work done, but just to get your unit on their lot. Three days before we were planning to leave on our two week trip, since I hadn't heard anything from them, I called to check the status. They told me it hadn't been put in the queue yet to be assigned to a technician and asked when I needed it. I told them that they asked that same question when I dropped it off and was told I had a trip planned in a week and a half. He said he would get someone on it and call me when it was ready. The next morning they called and said it was fixed. I picked it up, brought it home, and the wife and I started loading it up getting ready to leave the next day for our two week journey. As my wife was working inside the MH with the main door open and the screen door closed, I opened the screen and started to climb into the motor home and the window that was "properly" reinstalled a month earlier fell out and shattered in the driveway. I called them to get it recorded in their system and told them I would call when we got back from our trip to get it fixed again.

Finished our trip and the San-T-Flush did work well on the trip, but the cameras quit working. Got home on Saturday, September 16, called the dealer on Monday, the 18th, and told them I was back and wanted to bring the MH in to get the window repaired and that my cameras had quit working. They told me they would have to order the window and made an appointment for me to bring it in 10 days later, the 28th. I got there at 8:30 on the 28th and they asked when I needed it back and I said, "Noon." They laughed and said, "Good luck. When's your next trip." I asked why that was important since I had an appointment to get it fixed that day. She informed me they do not make appointments to do work, only to get your unit on the lot and in the queue. I asked why not let me keep it at home and they can call me when they are ready to do the work. She said we don't know what work you need until we get it on the lot and into the queue. I told her they knew what work I needed the day I called for the appointment and that I thought the only reason the appointment was scheduled for ten days later was so they would have the part and be ready to replace it (about a ten minute job, by the way) and to check out the cameras (which was probably a loose wire in the switching unit in the dash). She told me the RV service business did not work that way, and, oh, by the way, no part had been ordered for my MH because they didn't know it needed a part ordered. I told her it was one of her people who scheduled the appointment and told me they would have to order the part.

She supposedly ordered the part that day (the 28th) and said they would call when it was finished. Yesterday, October 5, I called to check the status. They said they were still waiting for the part to come in and had not been able to duplicate the camera issue. The guy on the phone told me he would check on the status of the part and send me an e-mail informing me when they expect it to be delivered. I am still waiting for that e-mail.

Bottom line, although I have had minor issues, most things work exactly as advertised so far, so we are happy with our ACE. We are not happy with the service from our dealer, although I am figuring out quickly it is probably as good as any other dealer's service system. The whole industry seems to be providing shoddy service and no one cares (except the MH owner). Even the salesman, who was one of the nicest guys I have ever met (and a nephew of the owner), immediate turned us over to the finance guy once we said, "We'll take it," and hasn't seemed anxious to see or talk with us since. I saw him once in the parts department and he tried to ignore until I walked up and spoke to him. Then, he reluctantly said hello and then rushed away. Last week, when I dropped it off to get it worked on, I waited in the showroom area for my wife to come pick me up and he had to walk past me several times. He never made eye contact or tried to acknowledge me until I spoke to him finally. It is obvious to me they know once they get you in the unit, you are probably not going to be happy with the quality of service you are going to be getting and don't want the buyers to come complain to them -
their job with you was complete when you said, "Yes." I spent a little more money than I would have by going elsewhere to buy, but thought it was better to buy close to home where I could get it serviced. I should have driven the 800 miles and gotten a better deal - the service sucks anyway. Next time I will.