Check your cargo bay door panels

[Unafortuna]

Originally Posted by Maxjr758

I plan on talking to Mishawaka Sheet Metal as it's ovious Thor could care less. I just don't understand Thor not taking care of an obvious design/manufacturing flaw. One Lawsuite because someone was injured, or Killed by a flying door panel, or in a crash caused by one, will cost them more than correcting this problem. I have to get this registered/documented with the NTSB so if it does happen, there is ample proof, that Thor was well aware of the problem.

Hello, we recently had a cargo skin failure while driving on I20 in Dallas on a windy day. We have a 2017 Miramar which is the cousin of the Challenger. It peeled off while driving and went airborne behind us. We were stunned as we heard the peeling off and the launch. It broke the lock as well. Miraculously, it landed on the side of the highway while motorists were swerving to miss the projectile. We stopped and checked all the doors including the outside kitchen, all of which are in the debonding process. We have an extended platinum warranty -we are talking with the Thor service center and will be reporting the incident to the Feds. Initially Thor denied that could happen but the code word Mishawaka and the threat of a lawsuit, now they are chatting with us. Thank you for posting on this because there is strength in numbers and knowledge is power.

[Unafortuna]

Here are a few pictures of the cargo door skin failure

[macdaddy1111]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

This is the second thread that you've started about this occurrence...

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f8/...nce-11743.html

Did you think that we didn't hear you the first time?

that was funnY!

[Unafortuna]

Originally Posted by macdaddy1111

that was funnY!

MacDaddy1111?

[Beau388]

One more time --This is only a Thor MC plant 850 problem and not a Thor MC problem or a Thor Industries problem. All 11 Thor Industries plants operate as independent companies. The Airstream plant in Jackson Center has nothing to do with the DVR plant in Howe; just as Thor MC plant 750 has nothing to do with Thor MC plant 850. Plant 750 basement doors are cut from a pressure bonded wall just as the slide's faces are cut from the coach's walls by a computer controlled router. The outer surface is thermo bonded plastic in a 40 ft x 12 ft vacuum press. There is no metal involved except for the aluminum channel around the edge to protect the door's core and the hinge.

[Unafortuna]

Originally Posted by Beau388

One more time --This is only a Thor MC plant 850 problem and not a Thor MC problem or a Thor Industries problem. All 11 Thor Industries plants operate as independent companies. The Airstream plant in Jackson Center has nothing to do with the DVR plant in Howe; just as Thor MC plant 750 has nothing to do with Thor MC plant 850. Plant 750 basement doors are cut from a pressure bonded wall just as the slide's faces are cut from the coach's walls by a computer controlled router. The outer surface is thermo bonded plastic in a 40 ft x 12 ft vacuum press. There is no metal involved except for the aluminum channel around the edge to protect the door's core and the hinge.

Thank you Beau388 for taking the time to shed some light on the various Thor plants, especially plant 850. I appreciate it very much!

Laurieann

[Britman55]

I have an RV Port at home and one day I pulled forward, parked it and opened a large bay door to retrieve something. Forgot to close door and backed in. What’s that noise? Oops! I did not rip the door skin off but damaged the struts plus the upper portion of door scratched and gouged. Cost me almost 3 grand at the body shop to fix and match paint. Now I and recheck my doors before moving an inch.

[Unafortuna]

Hi! Thanks for sharing your story! Do you like your port home? I am thinking of getting one.

[Britman55]

You bet no problem. As far as an RV Port home it’s great for so many reasons. I have full hook ups so just like at a campground I can use those systems as needed. It’s protected from the elements and saves me from the expense of storing elsewhere. I was paying almost $250.00 a month for covered parking and no electric at a storage solver in my area. After a couple years of that and the driving back and forth I started to look for another solution. Oh and it’s really nice when loading and off loading stuff since it’s right there at home.

[Pete'sMH]

I had a long and interesting conversation with a local builder about starting an actual RV port home community where the coach is part of the living quarters and he was intrigued but wanted to do more research on the communities in retirement destinations. Never heard back from him. It’s a great idea and I’d certainly consider buying one.

[inlyzbldcj]

Beau, how do you find out which plant your thor came from?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by inlyzbldcj

Beau, how do you find out which plant your thor came from?

It used to be on the Thor MC site under factory tours. It is on the Thor Industries site - just look up the brand and model name and it will give you the factories address, i.e trailer, Airstream - Jackson Center, Ohio

[Haligan0424]

We’re you able to resolve this issue? If so, how?

2nd trip out with a 2017 37kt and the same thing on the first door drivers side forward. Upon checking the other doors, the first door passenger side forward had come unglued.

Coach looks great driving down the road with lime green ratchet straps on both sides.

Only has 7k miles.

[sroyer]

as I posted before, I had all 15 doors taken apart and re applied to door using panel bond. most had already started to separate. It was $220 a door, but cheaper than the $1800 it cost to have the one that peeled back that got a new skin and paint job. This was on my dime, thor acknowledged the problem, door manufacturer never did respond.

[CoachSteve]

I left Salt Lake City two weeks ago in a 2 month old new 2021 Miramar. About 20 miles out a driver flagged me to pull over. The front right side door also peeled back.

The door is affixed with 1/4" foam double sided tape all the way around. No latches. No screws. No hooks. The only two things holding the fascia panel in place are the tape and the hinge flange. The wind from the road bent it back. I called Thor owner support and they never returned my call until the next day when we were home. I was able to tape it down with gorilla tape to get it to stay until I got some sheet metal screws and with the dealer's okay screwed the plate to the door frame.

When THor finally did call, they ordered a replacement for me without even seeing photos of the damage. They apparently know that their quality is horrific and they are trying to keep the customer happy.

[Bob Nodine]

Originally Posted by CoachSteve

I left Salt Lake City two weeks ago in a 2 month old new 2021 Miramar. About 20 miles out a driver flagged me to pull over. The front right side door also peeled back.

The door is affixed with 1/4" foam double sided tape all the way around. No latches. No screws. No hooks. The only two things holding the fascia panel in place are the tape and the hinge flange. The wind from the road bent it back. I called Thor owner support and they never returned my call until the next day when we were home. I was able to tape it down with gorilla tape to get it to stay until I got some sheet metal screws and with the dealer's okay screwed the plate to the door frame.

When THor finally did call, they ordered a replacement for me without even seeing photos of the damage. They apparently know that their quality is horrific and they are trying to keep the customer happy.

I just read thru this thread and believe the problem is the two sided tape being used to attach the panels to the door frame. Last month we traded our 2006 Monaco Diplomat that we owned for over 13 years for our 2022 Quantum. That coach and I think most coaches out there have the door skins attached with two sided tape. We never had a problem with door skins coming loose and in fact I tried to get one loose to do some repair and gave up. The doubled sided tape used had bonded so well that the skin would be bent trying to pry it off. Since I planned to reuse the skin and just wanted to get behind the panel to straighten it I gave up on removing it. Ended up pushing a awl through from the back side to push the metal out. I doubt that there is an automobile manufacturer today that does not use 3M trim tape or an equivalent to attach trim to the side of the vehicle.

[CoachSteve]

Thanks. I guess the occasional failure is to be expected...but WHY ME?!?!?

I know...because I bought the RV ;-))

[MLP]

Thor and most RV manufactures do not make doors. They are purchased. Lippert makes most if not all of them except for the custom coach builders.

[RigUSACAN]

This same thing has happened to our outside kitchen door panel on our 2015 Thor Miramar! Is there a way to get a replacement door?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by RigUSACAN

This same thing has happened to our outside kitchen door panel on our 2015 Thor Miramar! Is there a way to get a replacement door?

When our Hurricane was side swiped in 2017, Thor MC was able to supply Iron Horse RV with the three replacement cargo doors in 10 days. Of course plant 750 basement doors are not metal covered but are lined with aluminum filler strips. Since the basement doors are cut on a CNC mill table, there is usually no problem getting proper sized replacements. If yours are metal covered, those doors are sent out for covering, as Thor MC does not do that work, but contracts it out. I suspect it could take a while to get a replacement. As you might guess, they are not cheap. The Hurricanes large, left, rear basement door was $1,117 including shipping.