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Old 10-21-2017, 04:18 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 24.1
State: North Carolina
Posts: 292
THOR #5374
Thor Knows...

Went to an rv show here in Greensboro NC yesterday and spoke to a Thor Factory Rep who was standing near two of their premier diesel pushers.
One was an Aria the other was larger with a tag axle.

I mentioned to him the number of customer complaints about quality of late and he said that "they were aware of it and working to correct the issues at the factories"

He was very knowledgeable about the products and he seemed sincere .

I walked through both rigs and was impressed with the fit and finish on both.

With that said talk is cheap but perhaps there is hope that Thor will step up their game.

Forgot to ask him if they read this forum....

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Old 10-21-2017, 04:34 PM   #2
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I'm OK with my Palazzo for the money, I don't expect much from an entry level DP. If I was going to spend 350-450k on a DP coach, it certainly would not be a Thor product. Even their Tuscany and Venetian quality is not at the level of the others in the same price range.
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Old 10-21-2017, 04:49 PM   #3
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So far we have been ok with our Gemini. Expectations were pretty much met, and yes we have had some issues, but dealer managed to take care of. Biggest problem turned out to be, coming from a relatively high end DP, there were a lot of things we missed, in addition to the lack of inside space, which we did expect. Spending quite a few $$'s having things added, like a leveling system, 2nd air conditioner and more. The Gemini is just about what we were looking for, just very basic, which over the past year is changing. Got a lot added as part of the purchase deal, like inverter, satellite system, additional propane fittings, upgraded shades for the cab area and more. When I get it back, next week, all that might be left, at some point in time, maybe, would be to swap the TV's for better ones, but right now the Seiki's are fine using the satellite, so no real urgency there. As far as QA, could be better, but it could also be a lot worse.
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Old 10-21-2017, 06:46 PM   #4
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I have an easy solution: Fire every idiot that you see screwing up on the line, and pay your workers a decent hourly wage... with incentives for meeting quality control goals.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:06 PM   #5
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Knock on wood, I have been very pleased with the quality of my Venetian. My previous coach was a 2016 Winnebago Forza. Go to the Facebook page for Forza/Solei owners if you want an earful about Quality Control. We had ours for two years and it was a nightmare. I heard that Thor brought someone in from Monaco motor coaches to upgrade the construction process. I think the 2017 and later for their motorhomes will continue to improve over the previous years.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:20 PM   #6
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The idea of firing everyone currently on the assembly lines and replacing them with highly educated/trained RV assemblers is just not practical for several reasons. There are not exactly an abundance of highly skilled RV assembly techs available, for one thing. If they were, your $150,000 motor home would now cost you about $650,000 to $700,000, and believe me no one is going to pay that kind of money. Also if you look at RV manufactures costs vs profits, the current model works best financially for them, and the reality is, as long as the demand for RV's remains high, they have no incentive to change anything. Paying the dealers to fix and repair assembly errors and problems, though frustrating for the consumer and for the dealers, pencils out best for the manufactures. Currently the manufactures are selling record numbers of RV's, and we consumers continue to buy them in droves and in most cases force the dealer to fix and repair them so they are usable for us, complaining all the way, but still buying!!!!! Going to a more expensive coach will get you higher grade wall panels, floor tiles, and electronics, but still mis-assembled and still causing consumers frustration.
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Old 10-21-2017, 09:25 PM   #7
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Thor seems to also know a lot about how owners use their motorhomes. I ran across an article from a couple of years ago that states Airstream management knew that 50% of owners didn't even camp in their luxury Class Bs.


Quote:
It turns out I’m not alone. Only about 50 percent of the people who buy the Interstate Grand Tour actually sleep in it, according to Airstream Chief Executive Robert Wheeler. “They like to travel, but not by air,” he said. “We call them luxury tourers. They want the comfort and convenience. They want to bring their dog. They don’t like to use truck stop bathrooms. They think it’s nice to be able to heat up a cup of coffee or pull over and take a nap.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmu.../#398c2cde1d41
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Old 10-21-2017, 10:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laco View Post
The idea of firing everyone currently on the assembly lines and replacing them with highly educated/trained RV assemblers is just not practical for several reasons. There are not exactly an abundance of highly skilled RV assembly techs available, for one thing. If they were, your $150,000 motor home would now cost you about $650,000 to $700,000, and believe me no one is going to pay that kind of money. Also if you look at RV manufactures costs vs profits, the current model works best financially for them, and the reality is, as long as the demand for RV's remains high, they have no incentive to change anything. Paying the dealers to fix and repair assembly errors and problems, though frustrating for the consumer and for the dealers, pencils out best for the manufactures. Currently the manufactures are selling record numbers of RV's, and we consumers continue to buy them in droves and in most cases force the dealer to fix and repair them so they are usable for us, complaining all the way, but still buying!!!!! Going to a more expensive coach will get you higher grade wall panels, floor tiles, and electronics, but still mis-assembled and still causing consumers frustration.
If you vote with your wallet for a change in strategy (by sitting on it!); they will eventually have to reconsider their business model...
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Old 10-21-2017, 11:21 PM   #9
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Yep, if everyone quit buying RV's, and what do you think the likelihood of that might be, assembly line strategy would change, and then when you did buy an RV, that change in strategy would most certainly drain your wallet significantly more than buying an RV today does. Can't have it both ways, if you want more, you are going to have to pay for it. Simple economics 101.
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Old 10-21-2017, 11:43 PM   #10
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Well, if we don’t buy RVs then we won’t HAVE RVs. I really, really like my 2017 Freedom Elite notwithstanding the occasional problem or malfunction. I consider it a good value and I’m happy with my purchase.
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Old 10-21-2017, 11:57 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laco View Post
Yep, if everyone quit buying RV's, and what do you think the likelihood of that might be, assembly line strategy would change, and then when you did buy an RV, that change in strategy would most certainly drain your wallet significantly more than buying an RV today does. Can't have it both ways, if you want more, you are going to have to pay for it. Simple economics 101.

There is a middle ground. If buyers valued higher quality to a greater extent and were willing to change their buying choices without necessarily spending more, versus stop buying RVs altogether, then manufacturers would have to compete under those new market conditions. A better built RV for same price probably means less content, but that would be our choice. And we don't make that choice often enough.

I agree with you though that ultimately they build what most buyers will purchase.
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Old 10-22-2017, 12:11 AM   #12
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Yep I agree, if buyers would in fact demand higher quality with less content, but in todays market, that additional content is what sells units. Again as you said they build what sells.
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Old 10-22-2017, 01:08 PM   #13
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(I think this one's on me... )
I didn't say to stop buying. (Even if it sounded like that! )
Just refuse to deal with companies that emphasize production goals; over those that involve quality...
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Old 10-22-2017, 01:09 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
(I think this one's on me... )
I didn't say to stop buying. (Even if it sounded like that! )
Just refuse to deal with companies that emphasize production goals; over those that involve quality...
Still hard to do given that Thor controls well over half the RV market.
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Old 10-22-2017, 01:13 PM   #15
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Look at it this way: it'll be easier to figure out where to go shopping! Well over half of the field has been already eliminated!
(Okay: that might have been a joke...)
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Old 10-22-2017, 10:16 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
There is a middle ground. If buyers valued higher quality to a greater extent and were willing to change their buying choices without necessarily spending more, versus stop buying RVs altogether, then manufacturers would have to compete under those new market conditions. A better built RV for same price probably means less content, but that would be our choice. And we don't make that choice often enough.



I agree with you though that ultimately they build what most buyers will purchase.


I think these options already exist. Thor is a low to mid market builder but other manufacturers make different kinds of products. Winnebago seems to me (just my opinion) to make a “better” product sometimes with fewer bells and whistles. Still others make even “better still” products though they cost more. None are without problems or defects but still, market and product choices do exist.
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