If Thor built airplanes, would you fly in one?

[TerryJames]

Right wing came off! - ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – Seventy years ago one of the worst tragedies in St. Louis history took place with the mayor and several others plunging to their deaths in front of a large crowd at Lambert Field.
The crash of a glider plane filled with dignataries on Sunday August 1, 1943 is largely forgotten today.
But a few years ago the Missouri History Museum spoke with a woman who was at Lambert that day as part of a retrospective they put together for a musum display.
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“Suddenly the right wing of the thing fell off,” recalled Marion Phelps, “and you could hear people in the crowd kind of go…’Ohhh’…wondering what in the world was happening. But I think they thought it was a stunt.”
Museum curator Sharon Smith says it certainly wasn’t a stunt.
A single bolt had failed, which caused a wing to shear off and sent the glider plummeting an estimated 2,000 feet to the ground in front of Phelps and thousands of other stunned onlookers.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery

Are there any manufactures out there that make Class A motorhomes without slides? I agree if you get a 30-35 foot coach and arrange the inside correctly you don't need slides but I am not aware of any major manufacturers that make them now.

Bob, that's an interesting point of view. I personally feel the opposite -- thinking slides may serve a greater purpose on larger motorhomes than on smaller ones.

With smaller RVs it's easy to make them a little longer to add the equivalent living area, but with large RVs adding more length makes a bad situation that much worse.

We don't need that much space, but given the choice would gladly take an extra 2-feet of length in an Axis than adding a slide. With proper design I think it would offer us more space.


Anyway, as far as I know, Winnebago makes a classic-looking Class A motorhome around 28-feet long without a slide.

[petef]

NO... and after I had a Saab car that fell apart as I drove it the Saab airplanes went on the no fly list also!

does anyone know if Thor is union?

[Amre2me2]

My point about poor quality and workmanship is not about comparing our RVs to aircraft quality. The differences are obvious. But much more basic and obvious choices the RV factories use like why did the factory use 1/4" screws to hold a cabinet door on (that fell off on the way home from dealer) instead of 3/4" screws. Or why did they use too short of pneumatic nails/staples which allows trim pieces to fall off. Or in my case attaching the range/oven flexible rubber propane line directly under the slots that hold the kitchen knives. The propane line was preventing the knives from sliding down into the slots.

These are all quality control issues that are so easy to fix and never should be an issue but they exist on all the RVs. Doesn't anyone use their brain anymore? I've made the comment several times since buying my new trailer "It's like this unit was the first one they ever built"

[winder1]

Not only would I NOT fly in a plane THOR built, but if I could do it over, I would NEVER BUY, RIDE IN, OR OWN a THOR OF ANY KIND, EVER!

There is just no pride in their workmanship anywhere in that organization, at any level. Totally shoddily constructed, and no one cares.

[Barrhavencobra]

Read many of the comments no liked then all, different points of view, I agree with the ones that note that the testing and approvals even for a small plane are extensive, but I would like to add ... Do not mean to deviate from original quote, but how come many car builders can build cars for under $15000 for which everything works but the rv industry (from time to time) ha significant more did fully with that, at a significantly increased price ... Not picking on Thor as we really like our hurricane 30q, but have seen many with issues.

Thanks

Jim

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Barrhavencobra

Do not mean to deviate from original quote, but how come many car builders can build cars for under $15000 for which everything works

Lots of consistency, automation, and many many quality checks.

RV's are essentially hand-built which means no two are the same. Cars, on the other hand, are carefully designed to be constructed quickly with all parts going together easily (some car plants produce a car every 60 seconds or so).

[Barrhavencobra]

I totally understand, but hand built ....human eyes, should still mean a level of quality. The companies should develop repeatable lean processes that can be replicated to develop a quality product.

[EA37TS]

The workers don't care and management can't afford to hire and train replacements every day. Fire the people and bring in automation and quality will improve.

[mhbell]

Not if it was made after 2006.
Mel_B