Moving on from Thor

[FrankBarba]

I have never owned a motorhome, 5th wheel or even a houseboat that has as many problems as this 1 year old windsport. Purchased from Camping World (which I now regret). My motorhome had problems the day we drove off the lot. Went back to CW for warranty work. It was there for 6 months before they told us it was ready. Lost my warranty. I year old vehicle had to replace the batteries (Thor) would not cover, replaced my couch broken at pick up 1 year later I'm told it was in. CW could not get me in for 8 months still not fixed. My inverter went bad I had to replace AR my own expense, not covered under warranty even though an email was sent stating that it could go bad. The step is a joke my steps will not retract 6 months to get a tech to look it over, the gravity fill is a joke always have to blow the vent tube spewing water all over. I was told that they had a sensor for the awning to come in during high winds, NO THEY DONT HAVE THIS FEATURE. Replaced. I have a TSB that I can't get anyone to do the work.. I will never own another Thor product. I was looking at high dollar motorhomes and Thor owns those companies. GOOD BYE THOR

[ducksface]

To what end your post?

We had a member here who swears he's a 25 year computer networking professional. Yet he waited months and months for the warranty work on a coax cable end.

Another member was in the shop for months due to her windshield blind not working.

You were in the shop six months?

I was in and out of cw in three days. They warranted my used thor as new and Thor overnighted parts.

But
I am truly a joy to work with and I brought them $30 of McDonald's spicy chicken sandwiches and $20 of taco boxes from del taco or whoever has the taco boxes. I told them the food wasn't a gift from me, it was Thor based penance so they'd know to not lump me in with the Thor people they normally deal with. They laughed, I laughed, we ate tacos....

With me, it's a me thing.
With you, it appears to be a you thing.

Sell it. Sell it today. It will never be worth more than it is today.

[Bob Denman]

Sorry to hear that you had so many problems...
Will you be getting an RV from a different manufacturer?

[EA37TS]

Good Bye and good luck.

You might want to reconsider the RV lifestyle or who you purchase from in the future.

[blw2]

Yeah, I don't blame you...especially if you're not handy. It really is sad.

There's very few things on my rig that I've not fixed or modified in some way or another...every single drawer slide, every system....

My wife asked me once if I enjoy it...and I had to say yes, in a way...for me the tinkering and fixing I suppose is part of the hobby....although I did not enjoy the ones that were urgent emergencies on a trip. There has been times when I made repairs or mods while in the campsite...gave me something to do....
But at the same time I really do find it rather disgusting that so many easy and obvious things are wrong that absolutely should have been done better.
It has gotten old though & I'm over it. I have a few things that need attention now but I've been putting off...bad drawer slides (again)...the Bird system (again)...

Even sadder though...I'm not really even sure which makes aren't Thor anymore....
and even if there are some are they truly any better?

Winnebago I suppose isn't thor. When I was shopping years ago I got the sense that Winy rigs were maybe just a hair widths better in finish on some things but were basically the same as others....

I used to dream about upgrading to a Tiffin some day when we might go more full time...but sadly, now Thor.... and I understand anecdotally quality has fallen.

Anything else not Thor &/or better?

[petef]

bought new in 2014, spent about 1/2 the year in shops, every time was "leave it for a couple months" and we'll get back to you.. I fought Thor and they did do work after warranty expired because it was noted before warranty ended, had to go to an independent rv repair because dealers could not fix things. Also had to buy batteries. After a couple years I got everything working, now 7 years later still fixing things, but not necessarily Thor problem, they do not make components, ie door latches, jacks, etc. Now need new reupholster because all furniture is peeling. Never again would I buy a Thor product. Workmanship is shoddy at best.
1st year problems
Vibrations, tire wear, ac not working. FORD got it for 2 months, took it for a test drive and told me everything OK. FAIL, I took it to a tire dealer, got them warranty, an alignment shop, had that fixed, and anther RV dealer that was licensed by FORD to fix AC, they put new compressor.

Microwave rattles dealer try but could not fix. I changed the mounting hardware to bolts from screws so can tighten better and wrapped the support bar in rubber. No more noise.

AC would not work on MAX, it put air to defrost. Went to shop that was TEMCO dealer, the brand that made the "box" they fixed it. 2 years later went back and had a blower motor put in because the original Thor part was not OE quality and failed.

Sink drain kept coming undone when slide went in and out, dealer fixed, then I fixed a week later when it came apart again. Thor placed an electrical junction box in the way where the plumbing slid, which I relocated, also the sink plumbing was hooked up backwards so outcoming pipe was under stress.

knocking noise at low turn took over a year, it was the slide rails, drove to CA to have fixed at a repair shop.

Low voltage trouble and noise above, took to CW, they oiled the slide, and tested the battery, told me no good. Charged me $320. Kept rig for 40 days. Under warranty. They charged me because they found nothing wrong..

I was able to get Thor to reimburse me for most of these repairs I had to pay for.

There are many more minor problems I fixed along the way, not worth loosing 2 months of time to have someone replace a broken door latch or redo the many things that fell apart because of bad workmanship.

2 years in had to take down curtains and cut out paper like liner that was falling apart, had a seamstress put home quality liner in.

3 year in I have a heater hose leak on I 10 about 70 miles east of El Paso. Open the engine box, the hose had been rubbing on a metal strip, part of where they cut the floor, used to support the box. Lucky it was near the connection, I cut the bad part out, reconnected, used zip ties to secure the hose in a proper place, got water back in and on my way. Not happy about that one. Thor sucks.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by blw2

Yeah, I don't blame you...especially if you're not handy. It really is sad.

There's very few things on my rig that I've not fixed or modified in some way or another...every single drawer slide, every system....

My wife asked me once if I enjoy it...and I had to say yes, in a way...for me the tinkering and fixing I suppose is part of the hobby....although I did not enjoy the ones that were urgent emergencies on a trip. There has been times when I made repairs or mods while in the campsite...gave me something to do....
But at the same time I really do find it rather disgusting that so many easy and obvious things are wrong that absolutely should have been done better.
It has gotten old though & I'm over it. I have a few things that need attention now but I've been putting off...bad drawer slides (again)...the Bird system (again)...

Even sadder though...I'm not really even sure which makes aren't Thor anymore....
and even if there are some are they truly any better?

Winnebago I suppose isn't thor. When I was shopping years ago I got the sense that Winy rigs were maybe just a hair widths better in finish on some things but were basically the same as others....

I used to dream about upgrading to a Tiffin some day when we might go more full time...but sadly, now Thor.... and I understand anecdotally quality has fallen.

Anything else not Thor &/or better?

Talk to Tiffin owners. Tiffin's quality has been bad for years before Thor purchased them and a lot of folks have to take them to the Tiffin Factory Service center because dealers won't deal with their warranty. Thor had nothing to do with those issues and as a note, the Tiffin management structure is still in place and Tiffin is managed as an independent unit under Thor Industries. Thor Motor Coach has nothing to do with them.

Tiffin was broke and needed money and that is why they sold.

[Campnjoe]

Sorry to hear of your rough time. I own a hurricane, which is a sister product to your windsport. I made new batteries a part of the purchase as I know how the sales people leave them on all the time and drain them. Good luck to you on whatever you move on too, but I wouldnt expect any rv to be trouble free.

[Pete'sMH]

Yes, all the best in whatever ventures you pursue next. Your experience is pretty typical of the RV world in general. You shouldn’t expect other manufacturers to be better. You might get a better coach or you might not. Then again the same could be said if you were to buy another Thor. Much frustration comes from believing that CW service is responsive. There are other options and your decision to leave it there for 6 months is part of the issue. It’s not unlikely that the buyer of your used coach will have a much better experience because you’ve had so many things fixed for them.

I think we’ll be seeing more posts like this from folks who bought RVs during the pandemic. Buyers rarely are prepared for the problems (like the OP’s), the expense and the amount of effort it takes to enjoy an RV. It’s unfortunate.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Talk to Tiffin owners. Tiffin's quality has been bad for years....

NOW you lost me...
Being a Tiffin owner: I feel somewhat qualified to comment on your error-filled post.
Tiffin's quality is better than that of most RV manufacturers. Is it perfect? HELL NO!
but I have only had a couple of issues; none of them ever kept me from enjoying the rig.
Why did they sell out? As a tiny manufacturer: they saw a way to increase increase capital, and allow for future developments.
Speak to us of Entegra's quality...

[CactusJuice]

The thing is that many of the problems people complain about with Thor and other manufacturers are not from components unique to that manufacturer. Lippert companies make just about half of everything that goes into every brand's product. The steps, electrical switching, refers, heaters, jacks it's all the same. Crappy installation and poor customer and warranty service can be brand specific, but as someone who has owned other makes, I can tell you it is not in my experience.

[Chateau_Nomad]

There's something to be said about owning things like motorhomes and boats. It's a mindset thing. If you aren't willing or able to adopt the "fix-it-yourself" mindset, which involves analytical and mechanical abilities - change hobbies. Unless you have VERY deep pockets, you better plan for this.

And always remember... You catch more flies with honey... and tacos.

[Lt Keefer]

Someone on this forum saying Tiffin is inferior to Thor is laughable. That person has zero credibility.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

NOW you lost me...
Being a Tiffin owner: I feel somewhat qualified to comment on your error-filled post.
Tiffin's quality is better than that of most RV manufacturers. Is it perfect? HELL NO!
but I have only had a couple of issues; none of them ever kept me from enjoying the rig.
Why did they sell out? As a tiny manufacturer: they saw a way to increase increase capital, and allow for future developments.
Speak to us of Entegra's quality...

So perhaps what you are really saying is that you underpaid Tiffin, and they overdelivered for you; which forced them to be cash strapped; so they had to sell to Thor

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

There's something to be said about owning things like motorhomes and boats. It's a mindset thing. If you aren't willing or able to adopt the "fix-it-yourself" mindset, which involves analytical and mechanical abilities - change hobbies. Unless you have VERY deep pockets, you better plan for this.

And always remember... You catch more flies with honey... and tacos.

I have had 4 boats Bring On Another Thousand and 3 were purchased brand new. However, my new Yamaha 242 Limited has been nothing but flawless. Yamaha resolved and perfected everything that a boat would worry about. Took it back to dealer twice expected to pay for a lost cupholder and a pull strap next to rear ladder expecting a bill and it was covered under warranty. the Batteries are my favorite though. They are Interstate FLA and I have never even opened for water Both batteries still look brand new and not a speck of corrosion anywhere!!!

When I compare my RV to stories like the OP, I think the difference for me, was that I was more focused on what to look for before buying. For few things that I did find the Mfg either sent me a part or had a local dealer take care. But I get the frustrations with long waits, because my local dealer says he is 4 months out now. If I had a problem it could be a long wait to get fixed.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

Someone on this forum saying Tiffin is inferior to Thor is laughable. That person has zero credibility.

No one said Tiffin is worse than Thor. I said Tiffin is also bad and has been since before Thor.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

NOW you lost me...
Being a Tiffin owner: I feel somewhat qualified to comment on your error-filled post.
Tiffin's quality is better than that of most RV manufacturers. Is it perfect? HELL NO!
but I have only had a couple of issues; none of them ever kept me from enjoying the rig.
Why did they sell out? As a tiny manufacturer: they saw a way to increase increase capital, and allow for future developments.
Speak to us of Entegra's quality...

I had a 2015 Challenger 37ND that was virtually problem free for 5 years. Thor does build some quality rigs and other non entry level manufacturers will roll some crap off the lines from time to time.

How many rigs does Thor roll out compared to Tiffin and what is the rate of failure? Also, what percentage of failure is attributable to a poor or nonexistent PDI on the part of the dealer or customer.

I have said it before, there is no published quality standard for the RV industry so there is no bad quality.

[MJC62]

I have owned boats of various manufacturers and motorhomes of various manufacturers for many years. Both are bottomless money pits. That said I wouldn't leave either sitting in a dealers lot for 6 months waiting for them to get around to making warranty repairs. I am making no apologies for Thor Industries, but they do have a customer service department and if the dealer won't or can't make the repairs uh I would be on the phone, e mailing texting or whatever is required for help from the manufacturer. We bought the MH to use non decorate a dealers lot.

[Judge]

While quality and workmanship suffer across much of the industry, there are differences in how good a coach can be betweem manufacturers.

One thing that can tip you off is how much one manufacturer is will to reveal about their construction materials versus another.



Here is an example of a Super C construction materials:


Brand A

Welded Tubular Steel Floor
Welded Tubular Aluminum Roof & Sidewall Cage Construction
Premium One-Piece TPO Roof
Plywood Construction


Brand B

Seamless Slick Fiberglass Sidewalls
Azdel Composite Substrate (no wood used throughout coach)
High Strength Low Alloy Lightweight Steel Cage Throughout
Laminated Steel Framed Floor
Seamless One-Piece Front Fiberglass Cap



This is akin to the foundation of and framing of a house. While this shouldn't be your only buying criteria, it can give you hints into which one migh present less issues down the road.

Which one of the above would you want for your coach?

If you peel back the onion you can start to see the differences between manufacturers and which ones in theory should be better.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

So perhaps what you are really saying is that you underpaid Tiffin, and they overdelivered for you; which forced them to be cash strapped; so they had to sell to Thor

I think that you may be right...
After all: How much is ZERO downtime for repairs worth?