Sadly a complaint against Thor's Parts Manager

[Pops R]

I am wondering if anyone here has had any issues with the wiper system that was the subject of a big recall in 2017.

My story is we had the defective wiper system recall work done by Camping World and by Thor's instructions. The problem is in 2018 the wipers failed in a Texas rain fall, then they failed again in 2021 in a Colorado snow fall. It was then supposedly fixed by a RV repair shop. Then in June 2021 the wipers failed again in a Oklahoma rain fall. The original equipment is just defective

The failure was the right wiper would fall off going all the way out of sight to the left and then holding down the left wiper. A very concerning and dangerous failure out on the road to say the least.

I contacted Thor's Customer care with the issue of the failed wipers while out on the road trip and they were very congenial and concerned with this safety issue problem. They sent me out a replacement at no charge to where we were at the time on this 2021 RT which was in Florida.

Then I called on a local Mobile RV repair guy to install it for us. When he got to the RV park he pointed out what Thor sent was not the correct part and totally different from what we had, because the wiper posts on our 2015 Challenger are 35 inches apart and what was sent was 34 inches apart. . So I had him just remove the right side wiper so we could safely continue on the road trip.

I contacted Lazydays RV in Elkhart who handles Thor's parts asking what is the correct replacement wiper assembly for our MH. They sent me the the information for the OEM replacement part we need.

Thor's Parts Manager has repeatedly stated the part that was sent is the correct part and has been used on many MH's for the past 4 years . I pointed out that our 2015 MH was built in 2014 so 7 years ago. So assume Thor changed the design and parts sometime after that.

I sent pictures they asked for and showed how the part they sent is like an inch off and not the correct part backed up by Lazydays RV parts store.

I took pictures holding the part up outside showing how it does not line up with the two post holes on our MH but in response I was told the pictures do not prove anything. I also took pictures with a tape measure.

Thor's parts manager seems to be very reluctant to do the right thing and take back what was sent and send us the correct part that fits our 2015 challenger. The last response I got was

" Your pictures do not prove that the part is too short. We need a full picture with one of the part inside the hole "

Why would I lie, why showing the pictures of one post on what they sent on the right side post and then where the left side does not match up be proof enough or the picture of the tape measure from one side to the other and sowing the 34 inch and 35 inch difference be good enough for the parts manager to admit there was an error and to replace what they sent with the part LazyDays RV says is the correct part number?

[Pops R]

Well I see 180 have viewed this post but no one has responded so I guess no one else out there has had to deal with this issue?

The last response received today from Thor's customer care, always very cordial and nice said this was what she has been told

"I have done additional research and the wiper sent is the correct one. I am being told you will have to flew the wiper to open it up wider and then it should be the correct size."

Does anyone know what that means?

[16ACE27]

"flew the wiper"? What the heck does that mean?

[Pops R]

Exactly and was my response back to Thor

[Pops R]

Exactly and was my response back to Thor. I feel any modification would void any warranty or liability if the wipers were to fail again out on the road in a rain or snow fall and we had an accident because of that

[Pops R]

This is the latest response from Thor

"I apologize fat finger bow the wipers. I might suggest taking it to a service center near you and see if maybe a technician can help you further."

As the pictures show I posted here the wiper assembly posts they sent are 34 inches apart and what is on the MH are 35 inches apart.

So again the parts manager is making no sense and setting me up for failure this is just not good Thor PR to say the least. Bowing the wipers would be like trying to fit the wiper posts into a shorter hole. Which sounds not right either but in our case the wiper assembly they sent is an inch short matching the post holes . I sent them the pictures with the right side post on the post they sent and it is clear the left side is just too short to fit on our 2015 Challenger

Again this issue is from a Thor recall in 2017 about a failed wiper assembly!

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Pops R

This is the latest response from Thor

"I apologize fat finger bow the wipers. I might suggest taking it to a service center near you and see if maybe a technician can help you further."

As the pictures show I posted here the wiper assembly posts they sent are 34 inches apart and what is on the MH are 35 inches apart.

So again the parts manager is making no sense and setting me up for failure this is just not good Thor PR to say the least. Bowing the wipers would be like trying to fit the wiper posts into a shorter hole. Which sounds not right either but in our case the wiper assembly they sent is an inch short matching the post holes . I sent them the pictures with the right side post on the post they sent and it is clear the left side is just too short to fit on our 2015 Challenger

Again this issue is from a Thor recall in 2017 about a failed wiper assembly!

If this is truly covered by an FDOT safety recall it may be time to get the FDOT involved.

[Pops R]

Good point and yes bottom line is exactly that but I am hoping the parts manager will stop his insane responses through the customer care agent.

They have already certified they are responsible to replace the unit with the issuing at no charge the part they sent that simply does not fit our 2015 Challenger. It is of no use to me and why they will not simply exchange it for the correct part LazyDays in Elkhart says is the correct OEM replacement part and shown in the picture I posted here originally as well as sent to them but is also continually ignored is frustrating.

To make it way easy anyone could see just send the correct 35 inch part and a return shipment package for the 34 inch part!

In this picture is what they sent plus wiper arms and wiper blades but the wiper arm posts are 34 inches apart and ours on the MH are 35 inches apart!

I give 5 stars to Thor's customer care employees but sadly can not to the parts manager they can only repeat what he seems to be saying

[HarryS]

You will have to remove the old assy, and do a side to side comparison to be able to show Thor the new one is incorrect.

[Pops R]

That sounds like a good thought but I have to say is redundant as the other pictures taken and sent have done just that using a tape measure on the part they sent and then on the front of the MH post to post.
Also using the illustration of holding up the assembly they sent to the outside front of the MH with one wiper post on the right side touching the post on the MH and showing where the left side ends up short.

Right now with the right side wiper removed I can safely drive with the one left side working as we did on our RT from Florida to Colorado, but there is no guarantee that left side will not eventually fail and we should be given the correct OEM assembly which again LazyDays in Elkhart who handles Thor parts has showed and the picture of the correct part I posted here and had sent to Thor.

Given the standard rule Thor has of using a Thor approved RV repair Shop I feel there is way too much push to do things outside of that. The other point that the Mobile RV person who came out to do the installation for us in Florida
with the part Thor sent pointed out not only are the wiper post too short to fit on our 2015 Challenger by an inch but the mounting bracket for the motor is different as well.

The assembly unit they sent is much more sturdy looking than the OEM part but doing crazy modifications to try to make it fit seems nuts to me and why they discount the information from LazyDays about the correct OEM replacement part is a wonder?