Wondering if Thor is the right fit for us

Joy · 10-30-2016, 09:32 PM

Hello Forum .. My hubby and I are in the market to buy another motorhome. Had one for a number of years, but sold it a few yrs ago ... Now, we are retired and are thinking we'd like to get another. Have gone through the motions of looking for some time now, and as exhausting as that experience was, have found that the Thor motorcoaches at least LOOK like they would fit our needs.

Now it's time to do our research on how well they are made, and if there are any problems with the manufacturing of them that we should be aware of.

Mo_Mike · 10-30-2016, 09:40 PM

You will find lots of friendly and informative people here. What style of MH are you considering?

Joy · 10-30-2016, 09:44 PM

We are kind of leaning towards an Outlaw, toyhauler. But ... after googling complaints on Thor motorcoaches .. I am really apprehensive now. There seems to be a clear common denominator in the complaints I've read .. mostly to do with quality and even engineering. Things breaking due to poor design and quality. Do you have any comments in that direction?

JamieGeek · 10-30-2016, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joy

Now it's time to do our research on how well they are made, and if there are any problems with the manufacturing of them that we should be aware of.

Thor is about the same as any other manufacturer. The trick is to find a good dealer willing to work with you and not against you.

Our experience with Thor has been positive: Every phone call and e-mail to them has been returned with appropriate info and/or parts. They even called us a few months after our purchase to welcome us to the Thor family--surprised the heck out of me.

They do produce the odd rotten egg now and then (indeed some people who have gotten the bad egg from Thor will respond to your post strongly suggesting that you never buy a Thor..we have a few of those on here).

The best advice is to be very thorough during your predelivery inspection and note every blemish, out-of-alignment cabinet, miswired fixture, plumbing failure, etc. for the dealer (remember find a good one) to fix. A good checklist will get you a long way. There are a couple of really good dealers that will let you stay the weekend on their lot to work out all the kinks.

They can be good coaches as long as you go in eyes wide open and ready (like the Cub Scouts: be prepared).

Joy · 10-30-2016, 10:40 PM

Thank you for the advise, Jamie ... Will keep that in mind.

WillowRun · 10-30-2016, 10:46 PM

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...ners-5542.html

this will confuse you or help you! ;}

Mr Sunshine · 10-31-2016, 01:12 AM

Once again, Jamie has given an excellent response. Our experience with Thor mirrors his. We had a few warranty issues, and all were handled sufficiently by Thor.

If you check out some of the other brand forums, you'll find they all have issues.

When you are shopping, consider the reputation of the dealer. Dealer experiences vary wildly. We bought from a dealer hundreds of miles away from us and had all our warranty work done by other dealers. That worked OK in our case, others have struggled with getting warranty work done, even from the dealer where they bought.

It can be a jungle out there!

vkb · 10-31-2016, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joy

Thank you for the advise, Jamie ... Will keep that in mind.

Hi Joy ! We purchased our Axis in January 2016...we have had one problem with it and that turned out to be the result of an unscrupulous dealer robbing it of an electrical part !
Having had a couple motorhomes and a toyhauler (trailer) prior to the Axis..We, both, agree this is a GREAT Thor product. Whatever product you decide upon, before taking delivery of it...go through it completely..knowing that everything works properly and the cosmetics are to your liking.

This forum is awesome and everyone here will be happy to answer any questions you might have !
Enjoy your search !!

Kay

Hudsoner · 10-31-2016, 02:59 AM

I have had no big problems with my Hurricane. I bought it slightly used (from a divorce settlement), and what I can see from the records, the previous owners had no major issues either. In fact, my motorhome is so good and reliable that I do not plan to sell it. I'd rather do update to it to bring it up to snuff with newer units. The chassis is all the same, and the engine and transmission should last for ever and then some! My son sees F550 coming into the shop with well over 350 k miles on, and that are commercial vehicles that are beaten up every day (my puny 68 k miles don't even count).
I have several friends with Winnebago units, and most of them wish they would have a reliable Thor motorhome like mine.

Many participants in forums like these write only if they have something to complain, one hardly hears anything from owners, who are happy with their units.

I participate because i want to learn about new features with new motorhome, and how they hold up. That allows me to make a decision whether I want to install them or not.

For example, I would never ever want slide outs, because they seem to be the reason for major headaches. They also ad quite a bit of weight and it makes no sense at all to take a perfectly good wall and cut a gigantic hole into it!

martinek.steve · 10-31-2016, 09:11 AM

We have owned RV's since 1994. Initially, a Fleetwood Montara Class C, then a Jayco Jayflight 5th Wheel. Now a THOR Siesta Class C. Our experience has been that both of the 1st 2 brands had very few issues when we purchased them and few repairs were required with time in the 12 and 10 years of ownership. So far the THOR has definitely not been "about the same as any other manufacturer". So either one of 2 things has transpired since 2006.
1) All manufacturers of RV's have lost the recipe for making a quality product.
2) THOR is not a typical RV manufacturer.

We don't have many miles on our coach, and so far, everything has been repaired. Only time will tell if additional issues surface.

Here is a potential resource that you may find of interest, despite being a pay service : https://rvreviews.net/

You will probably have to make your decision based on if you can deal with the hassles of the repairs, and can you find a brand (probably more expensive) than a THOR. And do you believe future potential cost of repairs, once out of warranty, are still worth the money you might be ahead if you purchase a THOR.

We decided to give THOR a try even if we knew that quality was potentially a issue. It was cheaper than some other alternatives and they had a floorplan that appealed to us.

I think you are doing the right thing and researching the cost / benefits of the purchase.

SuperD · 10-31-2016, 10:23 AM

I bought my first Rv, a tent trailer, in 1978, been doing it every since. We are in our second Thor, if that says something. Thor has quality problems like everybody else, but i don't think as many. Very happy with our Windsport, only one minor problem, would not hesitate to buy another one!!!

jazzfest · 10-31-2016, 11:57 AM

We've had good luck with our motorhome so far. We had a stress crack in our windshield. Thor replaced it even though we were out of warranty. We were grateful for that.
We also had a defective windshield washer pump. We replaced that ourselves.

I suggest that you find a good dealer, as others have said. And use the motorhome as much as you can during the warranty period, to uncover any problems.
We didn't use ours as much as we should have due to a medical issue. We're using it now, all seems good. Also, Thor has been responsive to our questions.
This forum has been a tremendous help to us.

Chance · 10-31-2016, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinek.steve

We have owned RV's since 1994. Initially, a Fleetwood Montara Class C, then a Jayco Jayflight 5th Wheel. Now a THOR Siesta Class C. Our experience has been that both of the 1st 2 brands had very few issues when we purchased them and few repairs were required with time in the 12 and 10 years of ownership. So far the THOR has definitely not been "about the same as any other manufacturer". So either one of 2 things has transpired since 2006.
1) All manufacturers of RV's have lost the recipe for making a quality product.
2) THOR is not a typical RV manufacturer.

We don't have many miles on our coach, and so far, everything has been repaired. Only time will tell if additional issues surface.

Here is a potential resource that you may find of interest, despite being a pay service : https://rvreviews.net/

You will probably have to make your decision based on if you can deal with the hassles of the repairs, and can you find a brand (probably more expensive) than a THOR. And do you believe future potential cost of repairs, once out of warranty, are still worth the money you might be ahead if you purchase a THOR.

We decided to give THOR a try even if we knew that quality was potentially a issue. It was cheaper than some other alternatives and they had a floorplan that appealed to us.

I think you are doing the right thing and researching the cost / benefits of the purchase.

Excellent post.

Of the two choices, I'd vote for #1, thinking it's mostly due to newer RVs having much more content to enjoy, but more stuff to go wrong as well.

When Thor manufactures motorhomes for Cruise America to rent, it's probably not by accident that they make them about as simple as they can. Granted, part of that may be to lower initial cost, and partly so inexperienced renters aren't overwhelmed, but mostly I think it's so they hold up over time and are easy to repair and get back on the road quickly.

bigben · 10-31-2016, 12:24 PM

Our experience has been as most above, mostly ankle biter stuff but a couple of significant issues in 18 months and 28,000 miles of ownership. Thor has always answered the call and supported us with help. We have definitely put more miles on our coach than most owners by twice driving coast to coast and return. All the travel makes service a bit tricky but working with Thor service techs (both warranty and after warranty) has made this much easier.

Find the time to scour other makers forums. You will find the same sort of comments by owners without regard to the coach maker.

Have fun!!!

Joe-FL · 10-31-2016, 12:36 PM

We have only owned three RV's, two gently used ones and one new model. Our current 2014 Challenger was purchased used and still under warranty by Ford.

We have had much better luck with our used units. When we were shopping a few months ago one thing we stayed away from was any unit that had a full side slide. We have friends that have one in a large toy hauler and it has given them problems for 3 years. We stuck with looking at models that had 3 - 4 slides.

Everyone's finances, preferences, and needs are different. Good luck with your search and welcome to the forum.

Mr Sunshine · 10-31-2016, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudsoner

For example, I would never ever want slide outs, because they seem to be the reason for major headaches. They also ad quite a bit of weight and it makes no sense at all to take a perfectly good wall and cut a gigantic hole into it!

Part of the attraction for the Vegas 25.2 is that the rear slide is small and therefore light. It makes a walk around queen bed possible on a smaller rig. Another attraction was the lack of a power step. We had trouble with both of those areas on our previous Class A.

You can expect that all the glitz and gizmos of more elaborate coaches will equate to a lot more mechanical problems. We are hoping our Vegas will serve us well for a long time, with reasonable care and maintenance.

penguin · 10-31-2016, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

Part of the attraction for the Vegas 25.2 is that the rear slide is small and therefore light. It makes a walk around queen bed possible on a smaller rig. Another attraction was the lack of a power step. We had trouble with both of those areas on our previous Class A.

You can expect that all the glitz and gizmos of more elaborate coaches will equate to a lot more mechanical problems. We are hoping our Vegas will serve us well for a long time, with reasonable care and maintenance.

X2

Hudsoner · 11-01-2016, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

Part of the attraction for the Vegas 25.2 is that the rear slide is small and therefore light. It makes a walk around queen bed possible on a smaller rig. Another attraction was the lack of a power step. We had trouble with both of those areas on our previous Class A.

You can expect that all the glitz and gizmos of more elaborate coaches will equate to a lot more mechanical problems. We are hoping our Vegas will serve us well for a long time, with reasonable care and maintenance.

That makes sense. Luckily, my unit is big enough (but still small enough with a little less than 31 feet) to allow for a walk around queen size bed without requiring a slide.

I have a single step that slides out, and the only work I need to do from time to time, is putting some grease at the sliding points. It has a rather simple mechanism (who knows, I might be lucky not having a problem with it).

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