More repair/warranty work!!! - Page 8

WillowRun · 09-07-2016, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nursx2

Willowrun!?!?!? WTF! Are you saying the manufacturer are NOT responsible for the quality of the products they produce! Whatever!!!!!

Nope not at all--I am saying IF you let your dealer get away with it, they will blame EVERYTHING on the manufacturers---and face it, there are NO quality assurance rules anywhere for RV's...or standards or controls or repercussions to the manufacturers...so it is ALL buyer beware and be educated.....it is the consumer (us) that deals with the middleman (dealership) that decides on the name brand or price or decorations or motor or floor plan....no one else decides THAT part--then the dealership is the SELLER to his CUSTOMER......that they do not want to do warranty work is the consumers problem but should be the dealerships repsonibility from the start to the end....that any manufacturer can build a crappy product- yes, the crap is out there......again, buyer beware....and then take that manufacturer to the matt....until there is some sort of "RV Legislation" who but the damn buyer is gonna proof their crappy or great product??

breenw · 09-08-2016, 02:33 PM

We are all never going to agree or everything here or who is wrong and who is right. Some of you are thrilled with your Thor products and others like us aren't. So preaching to those of us that we shouldn't let our dealerships "get away with it" is a ridiculous statement to make. You can't fully control how they respond to your inquiries, service issues, etc. until you are going through it. We've tried asking, camping out (no pun intended) at their facility, complaining to the owner and to their corporate office all to no avail. All I know is that in good faith, we found the Thor Challenger model that suited our needs as far as size, price, layout, etc. Camping World Greenwood, IN was the only dealer that handled the Thor products. We had never owned a Thor so we didn't know whether or not it was a good product. We did research on the internet and some loved their Thor's and others didn't. We also found that same opinion on just about all the different brands of motorhomes.

We had another issue up front that dealt with damage to our front roof seam that I didn't even begin to bring up here. We think the rig was damaged at the Camping World facility once we had already signed the papers. They had the rig for over 2 more weeks as we awaited them addressing our repairs that we noted during our walk through. After week three, we took the vehicle out of their facility and began dealing directly with Thor. It looked like "someone" drove the rig into some type of overhang and we are waiting until Thor assesses it in October during our appointment with them. At that point, we will decide what legal action if any we will be taking with Camping World.

Camping World was great to deal with upfront during the sales negotiation and closing but not once we had signed on the dotted line. We did not know that Camping World here in Indy had such a poor service department. We have tried to get involved in letting the industry (both Camping World corporate and Thor) know that customers are sick and tired of the poor quality workmanship and parts that are going into these rigs. I looked up all of the board members and upper management personnel for Thor and sent each of them an email stating our experience with their products. I asked for the chance to meet with any of them during our visit coming up in October and I haven't even gotten a "Dear John" response back from any of them. Same with Camping World corporate. They just respond back with a canned email that says "we have forwarded our concerns to your local dealership for follow-up". Wow, do they think if I've already told them that the local CW doesn't give a crap, that their forwarding my messages are going to result in a favorable response to our complaints and concerns? Of course not.

Bottom line - no one gives a crap what they are producing. They only care about the bottom line and putting money in their shareholder's pockets. Personally, if I were any one of them, I might be able to overlook things like cheaply made faucets, light fixtures, etc., but knowing there are safety issues that could get someone killed (stuff flying out of bay doors that suddenly open on the highway or windows blowing out while driving to name a few), I couldn't live with myself knowing I could have possibly prevented my company from turning out an inferior product.

"Buyer beware" only goes so far. I don't care how thorough you think you are during a walk through, you aren't going to find everything wrong with your motorhome until you actually start using it and travel down the road.

chiefboats3 · 04-26-2017, 03:06 PM

I have a 2016 Thor Freedom Elite 26FE. Not my first RV or first problem. Have driven it from NY to WA to CA to Fl and back to NY. No major problems. But now it has been sitting for the winter and the vinyl floor is cracking. Wondering if anybody else is having this problem and how did they fix it?

almost there · 05-12-2017, 02:25 AM

When you say you had a good dealer or bad especially good i eish you would name the dealer and location gor the rest of us

almost there · 05-12-2017, 02:27 AM

Please name the dealers you had good experisnves with for the rrst of ud

airforceret · 05-12-2017, 02:39 AM

I bought my Four Winds 26B from Tiara RV in Elkhart, Indiana and they suck. They are without a doubt the most pathetic dealership I've ever had the displeasure of attempting to work with. They give new meaning to the term "unresponsive" to say the least. The sales experience was terrible and the warranty repair is non-existent.

axis earl · 05-12-2017, 03:06 AM

Been reading through these posts and it is very depressing. Makes me wonder who out there is thoroughly happy with their RV and which brand they have. I guess there is always the alternative to just drive your car and rent some bed in a hotel that you have no idea who was in it before and if the sheets really were changed.... I have come to the conclusion that you really have to be a "fix-it" person to own any kind of RV or boat... or you will be very frustrated. Wish it wasn't this way with the RV industry but I don't see it changing any time soon. By the way, I have purchased items rated very high in Consumer Reports....washing machines and lately a SUV.... turned out to be total headaches.... so it isn't just the RV industry. I could get into what I think is contributing to these production issues but it would not be in keeping with the normally good tone of this forum so I'll leave it there.

Kev · 05-12-2017, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axis earl

Been reading through these posts and it is very depressing. Makes me wonder who out there is thoroughly happy with their RV and which brand they have. I guess there is always the alternative to just drive your car and rent some bed in a hotel that you have no idea who was in it before and if the sheets really were changed.... I have come to the conclusion that you really have to be a "fix-it" person to own any kind of RV or boat... or you will be very frustrated. Wish it wasn't this way with the RV industry but I don't see it changing any time soon. By the way, I have purchased items rated very high in Consumer Reports....washing machines and lately a SUV.... turned out to be total headaches.... so it isn't just the RV industry. I could get into what I think is contributing to these production issues but it would not be in keeping with the normally good tone of this forum so I'll leave it there.

Problem is you don't hear from the people that are happy. People are more likely to comment only when they are unhappy. As far a quality control I have a friend that has a Prevost and has had his share of problems from electrical to leaks in his system. Another friend has a Wnnebago and on his shakedown trip the converter shorted out and caught on fire. My point is that you can have trouble with any brand. A good dealer can circumvent a lot of problems by being responsive and making repairs in a timely manner. I have had some fit and finish issues that were handled promptly by the dealer and Thor.

Kev

DocP · 05-12-2017, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kev

Problem is you don't hear from the people that are happy. People are more likely to comment only when they are unhappy.
Kev

Very, very true! I really like my new Hurricane 35M, but it has had its share of warranty work as well. Apart from a major water leak from a broken solenoid in the icemaker and a loss of engine coolant on a trip, everything else was relatively minor. I have had the coach in 3 times since January with a list of 3-5 items each time, and the dealer (General RV in North Canton OH - Greg Stevenson is my service advisor, and he has been very patient with me) has been very responsive - all of the work was completed in a timely manner. That being said, having to take it in for warranty work is a major hassle. I have found, however, that frequently contacting the dealer for an update status (e.g,. have the parts been ordered, did you receive the approval from Thor yet to do the repair, etc.) keeps everyone on their toes. I've learned over the past 40+ years of RV'ing that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

It's a shame about the lack of quality control in the industry, but I have seen it in virtually every RV manufacturer I have have dealt with. For the money we are shelling out, we deserve better. I will not, however, let it detract from the pleasure I get from getting out and seeing our country!

JamieGeek · 05-12-2017, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axis earl

Been reading through these posts and it is very depressing. Makes me wonder who out there is thoroughly happy with their RV and which brand they have. I guess there is always the alternative to just drive your car and rent some bed in a hotel that you have no idea who was in it before and if the sheets really were changed.... I have come to the conclusion that you really have to be a "fix-it" person to own any kind of RV or boat... or you will be very frustrated. Wish it wasn't this way with the RV industry but I don't see it changing any time soon. By the way, I have purchased items rated very high in Consumer Reports....washing machines and lately a SUV.... turned out to be total headaches.... so it isn't just the RV industry. I could get into what I think is contributing to these production issues but it would not be in keeping with the normally good tone of this forum so I'll leave it there.

That is the whole reason for the few threads on the forums here asking Is anyone happy? LOL!

We are: Our only major issue was the window leak which is finally fixed now.

Kev · 05-12-2017, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

That is the whole reason for the few threads on the forums here asking Is anyone happy? LOL!

We are: Our only major issue was the window leak which is finally fixed now.

Fortunately I have had very few issues, some of which were my fault, with my Vegas and they were addressed in a timely manner by General RV and Thor. I think the dealership has big part of being happy with your purchase. I am really keeping my fingers crossed that I have minimal issues with the new coach when it comes in. It is exciting to be getting a new RV but that excitement can be quickly extinguished if it comes with a multitude of issues.

Kev

Nursx2 · 05-12-2017, 03:26 PM

Craig Smith RV Center - an independent dealer in Galion, Ohio treated me excellent when fixed the Thor step recall.

The bolt had already broken and a simple replacement turned into a 6 hour ordeal where they had to drill out the bolt and order additional parts. One of the techs thought I would have to pay for it but the service manager said they would fight with Thor/step manufacturer to get payment - NO CHARGE TO ME!!!!!

I was blown away with this excellent customer service!!

mountainsam · 05-12-2017, 03:59 PM

Wow, I feel like a big cry baby. I have been complaining on my warranty work issues and mine were all superficial things. None of them would have stopped me from enjoying the coach.
There is an issue I may be able to help with, or it may already be stated in the thread, I didn't read the last 5 pages.
When we bought our 5th wheel in 2013 the dealer was very insistant that we understand the proper procedure of extending and retracting the slides. Your RV is built with tight seals and we all hope it is. When a slide is moved in either direction make sure there is an air source, open window or door. It is very easy to pop a seal if there is no where for the extra pressure to escape or if opening, for the negative pressure to stabilize.
When we bought our new MH in February there was no mention of this and when I asked the dealer rep she kind of seemed puzzled and said she had not heard of this.
There is enough pressure inside a coach when closing a slide to pop the seals on a window or even a windshield. The bigger the slide vs coach size, the more pressure build up.

gmc · 05-12-2017, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axis earl

Been reading through these posts and it is very depressing. Makes me wonder who out there is thoroughly happy with their RV and which brand they have. I guess there is always the alternative to just drive your car and rent some bed in a hotel that you have no idea who was in it before and if the sheets really were changed.... I have come to the conclusion that you really have to be a "fix-it" person to own any kind of RV or boat... or you will be very frustrated. Wish it wasn't this way with the RV industry but I don't see it changing any time soon. By the way, I have purchased items rated very high in Consumer Reports....washing machines and lately a SUV.... turned out to be total headaches.... so it isn't just the RV industry. I could get into what I think is contributing to these production issues but it would not be in keeping with the normally good tone of this forum so I'll leave it there.

Jamie pointed you to the other thread for who is happy...
But in general - I think it is certainly less frustrating - and cheaper - to own an RV if you are a "fix-it" person... But that is also true for a house.. an older vehicle.. etc...

Right now happier with my RV than my non-toad vehicle... lol... but that is a whole 'nother story.
And thinking about the repairs/changes I've made / am making to our 'new to us' house - and what I would have had to pay to have that work done...

RV is really the combination of the above - everything from auto mechanic, plumber, electrician, HVAC - all rolled into one.

Plenty of people here willing to offer help/advice if you are willing to do the work... And 110v electric aside - its not dangerous to try if you aren't that familiar... (electricity needs a little more knowledge and respect in my book - but if you can wire outlets/circuits at home - you can likely handle most of what you would need...)

Beau388 · 05-12-2017, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by almost there

Please name the dealers you had good experiences with for the rest of us

Great service and PDI at MHSRV. $135 per hour if you are paying. Locally I recommend Youngbloods RV in Mayfield, KY. They are a Jayco, Entrega dealer but happy do warranty work on TMC coaches. $90 per hour if you are paying. Then there is Bob's Mobile RV Service out of Murray, KY which is great if you are at LBL. Bob charges $75 an hour. If you get pre-approval from TMC, they will reimburse you for the service call.

gw53160 · 07-04-2017, 04:00 PM

I bought a 2017 thor challenger gt model there's a major problem with the heating the front area of the coach the bathroom and bedroom get almost to much heat i took it back to the dealership in april 2017 and it's still there with on signs to been repaired. (SO BEWARE) if you have this model or thinking of buying this model this is a deisign flaw with how far the vent is behing the driver seat to where the heater unit is THEY TRYED ADDING VENTS WITH NO HELP THEY TRIED TO ADD DAMPER VENTS TO THE BATHROOM AND BEDROOM NO HELP.

airforceret · 07-04-2017, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gw53160

I bought a 2017 thor challenger gt model there's a major problem with the heating the front area of the coach the bathroom and bedroom get almost to much heat i took it back to the dealership in april 2017 and it's still there with on signs to been repaired. (SO BEWARE) if you have this model or thinking of buying this model this is a deisign flaw with how far the vent is behing the driver seat to where the heater unit is THEY TRYED ADDING VENTS WITH NO HELP THEY TRIED TO ADD DAMPER VENTS TO THE BATHROOM AND BEDROOM NO HELP.

I've made some improvements in my Four Winds Class C by swapping out some of the flex tubing and changing the vent caps. I was able to use 2 inch tubing to places too warm and was able to upgrade one of the vents to 4 inch tubing that originally had 2 inch tubing. My guess is the installer had no clue which went where and just did whatever they felt like that day.

I'm also hoping to extend some 4 or possibly 5 or 6 inch tubing to the front area just behind the seats of the Class C. Or at least upgrade the vents to provide more directional movement of the air.

Air gaps to the outside continue to be a major issue as well... It's unbelievable how many places you can see daylight. Everywhere from on the sides of the entry door, under the slide I can nearly stick my hand outside, along the exterior wall, just to name a few.

Connico479 · 09-15-2017, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstankov

The component list I received from Thor, upon my request, has everything with a serial number listed to include awning motor, awning mounts, dash radio, etc... In this regard my hat goes off to Thor. Thor seems to have far better records of how my coach is configured and seem more willing to share this info than Forest River was.

Who do I contact to get this component list from Thor? I have a question about my awning. It went in to have the LED strip replaced and came back with what I contend is a totally different awning. Older, stained, torn, wrinkled on the ends and shorter than my 3 month old awning. Oh, and they lost the end cap! But on the bright side, the LED's all work.

They showed me a picture of the serial number but that could have been from the other (admittedly shorter) model being serviced at the same time. I do not trust them. Also, I suspect that when my unit was sitting unsold on the lot for several months, they scavenged parts for other rv's as things look changed or were flat out missing. Maybe a list will help me determine if that was the case.

Thanks in advance.

Connie

Laco · 09-15-2017, 03:45 PM

The QA issue is an RV industry issue, not just Thor. Our Gemini is coming up on the one year mark, and once again I have a pretty much full page of things to be addressed before the factory warrantee is up. This is not our first motor home, and I can tell you the first year with virtually any of them consists of trying to recover from the manufacturing process, regardless of brand. Most of the remaining issues, are fortunately minor in nature, but need to be addressed.

bevedfelker · 09-15-2017, 04:22 PM

Connico -- Go to the Thor Customer Care area of the Thor Motorcoach website (https://www.thormotorcoach.com/customer-care/). Fill out the form. Be sure to include model, year, and VIN. Ask them for the build sheet with the part numbers and serial numbers of the installed components. They will reply back to you with an email with the information in a attached PDF file.

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