Thor Freedom Elite 22FE

[del?ight]

Hello,
I recently purchased a Freedom Elite from Camper World.
Has anybody had issues with theirs?
I have already had several, and I haven't even used it. It was supposed
To be new.
The slide out was missing a rubber seal inside, the drawers weren't put
together right, lots of slivers in them.
The decals in the front have peeled , and now the floor is coming up.
Also the chassis underneath has a lot of rust, which I took to the Ford
Dealer and they told me it was surface rust.
If a vehicle sits on the lot to long this happens. It was built in November
of last year.
I am a bit frustrated with the whole thing.

[Pete'sMH]

We recently bought a Freedom Elite 26HE and our experience has been pretty good. Several "issues" none terribly serious though. Our vehicles certainly were built to a price point and they are pretty high maintenance - especially stay vigilant about real and potential water leaks - but don't get discouraged or forget to have fun!!! Vacuum up the saw dust, fix the splinters and stay in touch with your dealer for warranty work. I expect you'll find more issues before long as well. But Fords are excellent and Thor has been making these things for years and once you get it debugged it'll give you good service. Thor seems to be pretty committed to customer service and while Camping World can be hit or miss they do have a job to do. Good luck.

[brucerpeters@gmail.com]

I recently bought a Freedom Elite 23H. I had several problems with water leaks. The water filter underneath the bench seat that is in front of the water pump the cap was loose and I was having water running on the floor. The cold water hose connected to the sink in the kitchen was loose causing water to leak into the storage compartment. These issues that I fixed myself. The gray water drain was also stopped up camping world was able to clear the debris. These problems were definitely quality assurance issues, You would also think that the installers would clean up after they drilled holes and left wood shavings and other trash in the RV behind the panels. Camping World and Thor were notified and were very understanding and helpful. My RV must have been built on a Monday or Friday! [emoji23] Other than these quick fix issues I am very pleased with my Freedom Elite.

[Pete'sMH]

I plan to "de-winterize" this next week and take one more short local trip with water before we head out on a 4000 mile tour of western states. I plan to try everything wet at home and hopefully any problems will be ones that I can handle easily. So far our issues have been pretty minor. You are right about the sawdust and debris behind cabinets!

[airforceret]

We've owned several brands and it seems pretty consistent when it comes to leftover debris and aggravating issues to resolve. Even this new one I just picked up has issues but it's true once you get past all the little irritants it will get better. Just today alone I had to use zip ties to cleanup wiring so it quit catching on the drawer, the cabinet shelf is too narrow and falls out so I'm going to attach it with L brackets, a couple rogue screws and tons of scrap cutouts. Bathroom drain trap was finger loose and leaking and two fittings under the kitchen sink were loose. I'm pretty sure if I don't do something about the sewer drains underneath they will fall off in due time. But they are built by humans and this is what you get on any given day!

[brucerpeters@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by airforceret

We've owned several brands and it seems pretty consistent when it comes to leftover debris and aggravating issues to resolve. Even this new one I just picked up has issues but it's true once you get past all the little irritants it will get better. Just today alone I had to use zip ties to cleanup wiring so it quit catching on the drawer, the cabinet shelf is too narrow and falls out so I'm going to attach it with L brackets, a couple rogue screws and tons of scrap cutouts. Bathroom drain trap was finger loose and leaking and two fittings under the kitchen sink were loose. I'm pretty sure if I don't do something about the sewer drains underneath they will fall off in due time. But they are built by humans and this is what you get on any given day!

I am 66 yrs old and worked in the construction industry for over 30 yrs. When I was young our parents taught us to take pride in our work. Today the pride in your work is gone. Sad !

[steve76]

Picked up my 22FE Freedom Elite last week. After I drove home and parked it, next day looked at the back end from about 30 ft. away and noticed leaning on left rear corner. Measured it from side to side and is leaning on rear side where slide out is. Called my salesman and he said they all do that due to the 800 lb. slide out. Took photos and told him to document it and also I did. I will be checking others on their lot in couple weeks when I bring it in for some tweak things. Anyone, does your rear slide out cause lean? Mine is on Ford 350 chassis. Also, yesterday got estimate from Les Schwab on rear airbag install for $731. which I am inclined to do since I have a problem with looking at something out of level which is compulsive with me.

[brucerpeters@gmail.com]

Steve76
that's why I didn't buy my RV with any slide outs. I have friends that have slide outs that have explained the same issue when you have only a slight out on one side with two slide outs One on each side it does help balance out the weight. my main concern with slide outs is over a period of time they end up leaking. my Rv only has 3000 miles on it and I've already had to take it to the Ford dealer to have the ABS sensor replaced on the right front wheel. I am also having problems with the battery underneath the stairs that go into the living quarters the two outside cells keep losing water I took it over to camping world and they said it's still charging and they can't do anything unless it is defective and not charging their suggestion was just to keep adding water to the two cells. that was their answer.

[SuperD]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!!!

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by steve76

Picked up my 22FE Freedom Elite last week. After I drove home and parked it, next day looked at the back end from about 30 ft. away and noticed leaning on left rear corner. Measured it from side to side and is leaning on rear side where slide out is. Called my salesman and he said they all do that due to the 800 lb. slide out. Took photos and told him to document it and also I did. I will be checking others on their lot in couple weeks when I bring it in for some tweak things. Anyone, does your rear slide out cause lean? Mine is on Ford 350 chassis. Also, yesterday got estimate from Les Schwab on rear airbag install for $731. which I am inclined to do since I have a problem with looking at something out of level which is compulsive with me.

We have a 26 HE (similar floor plan - we nearly bought the 22FE - and it also leans to the left. While at a truck center for an alignment I discussed it with a (seemingly) knowledgeable expert. He said it was only an aesthetic issue but easily fixed if I wanted. It is caused by the design of the floor plan that places so many heavy items on the left side - slide, generator, propane tank etc. on my coach the difference is about 600 lbs left to right. Some have fixed it by just adding a small spacer above the axle and longer U bolts. That seems to cost only $100 or so. My "expert" said that since it is caused by uneven weight he'd recommend either adding a leaf to the spring or adding a small helper spring. Either would cost less than $300. I've not yet decided to have it done. Obviously the lean is more with the slide extended and more still with two people sleeping in the slide (I presume - never checked while sleeping!). It can leave you sleeping with your head lower than your feet but we've not really had a problem. Sometimes I put an extra block under the left rear when leveling but mostly ignore it. Since I noticed on mine I've noticed other RVs doing the same on the road and in campgrounds. Let us know if/how you fix yours and enjoy your new camper!