Omni/Magnitude front cap fix

[Judge]

Great job Kevin!!!!

That sandwich job is the way it should have been done at the factory. Between that and your professional welding ability and that front cap is going to be like a tank!

Those little screws you found are pathetic. I mean what does Thor really think they are going to do at the end of the day?

Keep up the great work and thanks for the post and pics!

[kwplot34]

And that big rats nest of wires that is about 6-7 foot to long will get cleaned up, why they can't run and cut wiring to the correct length is beyond me, in some areas you will find way to much and in others barely enough. And that bigger heavy white wire that looks like speaker wire, I actually thought it was for the speakers till later today, but it's not, it is for a tiny LED light over each door on the outside that is a night time courtesy light that comes on when you unlock the doors, guess they ran out of wire the day the wired mine up and went over to the stereo shop and borrowed speaker wire, another one of those WHAT THE HELL moments.

[kwplot34]

Watching the weather tonight and for the next 7 days the weather is going to be nice, no rain, sunny and highs in the mid 60's so I'm going to take the molding off outside that the screws are pushing thru and fix that while it's nice.

[kwplot34]

Originally Posted by Judge

Great job Kevin!!!!

That sandwich job is the way it should have been done at the factory. Between that and your professional welding ability and that front cap is going to be like a tank!

Those little screws you found are pathetic. I mean what does Thor really think they are going to do at the end of the day?

Keep up the great work and thanks for the post and pics!

Thank you Judge
Yeah there really is a lot of WTH stuff going on in there. The wife does accuse me of over engineering everything I do, I tell her NO, I just don't like going back and fixing again what I just fixed.
Those screws

[kwplot34]

Started on the outside today since I have5-6 days of nice weather that will allow me to remove the molding and open up the side and fix the problem with the screws coming out and pushing thru the molding.
Some really nice surprises. Only concentrating on the cap portion right now and will replace the lower screw after the cap is done.
Removed 11 screws, of the 11 5 were broke and the rest were loose, and the tiny self tapping screws Thor puts in the side is a joke. There is no adhesive/sealant between the cap and where it meets the coach, just some clear silicon along the molding, so if you have not fixed or had yours fixed yet you better keep an eye on it because water will get in behind the cap. a few of the screws were not even going thru the cap they missed it entirely so no clamping going on there.

[kwplot34]

A few more pics.

[kwplot34]

As I posted earlier, there is an aluminum frame between the outer and inner walls and all Thor does is put those tiny self tapping screws into the outer wall of the aluminum tube and almost always over tighten them with their screw guns and pull the hole. What I am doing is, drilling all the way thru the aluminum frame and exiting the inner wall and using #10 SS machine screws with a SS poly lock nut and a SS washer behind the nut and under the screw head, on the inner wall I have run an aluminum strip up the wall that way the nut and washer is not just clamping down on the thin paneling.
Before I sandwich it all together I have injected an adhesive/sealant between the cap and coach wall seam, this will glue the 2 together and prevent water from leaking in, It's some pretty darn good stuff have used it for years on my cars it's costly at $80 for a small tube, but it works.

[kwplot34]

This is what the inside wall looks like with the fasteners and aluminum strip I used for backing, the trim piece will cover up the screws. I ran tape down the outside wall because when you tighten up the fasteners the extra adhesive will squirt out from the seam and you DO NOT want that getting all over your paint. I have some House of Color wax and grease remover that will clean up any little bit you get on the paint before the adhesive sets up, after it sets up, it's pretty much there to stay.

[kwplot34]

When I get done with the outside, still have to do the drivers side and the roof, I have a 3M clear silicon that will be used to seal the molding on the walls and Dicor on the roof.
I purchased the Evercoat adhesive, wax and grease remover and the 3M silicon at the automotive paint & supply store where I have been getting all my auto body and paint for many years, you should be able to find them at an auto body supply store in your neck of the woods or probably buy them on line.
Tomorrow I will do the drivers side and get after the roof, not sure what I am going to do on the roof yet till I get up there and take it apart.

[Magni-Sean]

Hey kwplot34!
Thank you for posting and sharing your AWESOME work with this cap issue! I am taking my Mag SV 34 into CW for the assessment of the same cap issue. I hope to encourage a fix closer to what you have done, but not holding my breath. We had ours for less than a year before I noticed the issues with the outside seam popping out. I will keep everyone posted on my warranty work. Are you planning on moving the front leveling jacks back behind the cab?
Thanks again!
Sean

[kwplot34]

Originally Posted by Magni-Sean

Hey kwplot34!
Thank you for posting and sharing your AWESOME work with this cap issue! I am taking my Mag SV 34 into CW for the assessment of the same cap issue. I hope to encourage a fix closer to what you have done, but not holding my breath. We had ours for less than a year before I noticed the issues with the outside seam popping out. I will keep everyone posted on my warranty work. Are you planning on moving the front leveling jacks back behind the cab?
Thanks again!
Sean

Hi Sean,
I hope by showing my work and what I have found it will help others when they either take on the job and fix it their self or if they have a repair facility fix it you will know what Thor has done and can inform the shop what you expect as far as repair goes, or even show the shop the pics so they know what to expect to find when they dig into the repair.
I have not looked at the leveling jacks yet, but I plan on checking them out next spring and get with Judge and discuss it some more since Judge has looked at others and determine if it's something that should be done. I was thinking if I do it I might get another pair of mounting brackets that weld to the frame instead of cutting and moving the original in case moving them was not a good idea the jacks can be moved easily back to the factory location.

[Judge]

Kevin...... wow....... I mean WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You sir are a steely-eyed missile man. The quality and workmanship of what you are doing to that front cap is nothing short of amazing!

As we talked about on the phone the other day, I felt like the problems starts at the side walls and then if it is not addressed soon enough, it would cause more stress on the cap-to-cab mount and cause issues there.

You found exactly what happened to mine. Those screws and the way the sides of the front cap is attached to the house box is a joke.... I mean a damn joke. It is no wonder that 90% of the Omni / Magnitude's develop this problem after a few months of use.

Thor should be ashamed of themselves. I would be embarrassed and ashamed to own a company that put out quality like that.

The other joke is when I talked to Thor about mine and asked if I should still use the coach while I waited for Wakarusa to get me in for the repair, they said "sure.... use it." I said if it raining while I am driving water is going to blast into the seam and there will be water intrusion in the coach. The next answer from them was "it will be fine.... don't worry about it."

Keep up the tremendous work!!!!!

[kwplot34]

Originally Posted by Judge

Kevin...... wow....... I mean WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You sir are a steely-eyed missile man. The quality and workmanship of what you are doing to that front cap is nothing short of amazing!

As we talked about on the phone the other day, I felt like the problems starts at the side walls and then if it is not addressed soon enough, it would cause more stress on the cap-to-cab mount and cause issues there.

You found exactly what happened to mine. Those screws and the way the sides of the front cap is attached to the house box is a joke.... I mean a damn joke. It is no wonder that 90% of the Omni / Magnitude's develop this problem after a few months of use.

Thor should be ashamed of themselves. I would be embarrassed and ashamed to own a company that put out quality like that.

The other joke is when I talked to Thor about mine and asked if I should still use the coach while I waited for Wakarusa to get me in for the repair, they said "sure.... use it." I said if it raining while I am driving water is going to blast into the seam and there will be water intrusion in the coach. The next answer from them was "it will be fine.... don't worry about it."

Keep up the tremendous work!!!!!

It really is a complete joke how Thor assembles the coach and they should be embarrassed to put out a product like this, I would like to think with this information being put out on the web with pictures of the crappy engineering and less than crappy assembly procedures Thor would change their ways, but I seriously doubt it.
It was a good thing you did not continue to use yours it would of just made things worse. And anyone out there reading this thread and following along with one of Thor's Super C, you better get it fixed ASAP, not only is your front going to get worse but you are going to have water intrusion in that cap seam, it is NOT water tight, no adhesive/sealer in there at all.

Thank you for compliments on the work Judge, it is very much appreciated.

[Greybear]

Judge said it, but... WOW.

Really nice work.

The problem is now everyone else with this issue, fixed or not, has to decide whether to crack their rig open and perform the right fix. At least we'll have a step by step guide to do it.

Very well done, and much appreciated!

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by kwplot34

It really is a complete joke how Thor assembles the coach and they should be embarrassed to put out a product like this, I would like to think with this information being put out on the web with pictures of the crappy engineering and less than crappy assembly procedures Thor would change their ways, but I seriously doubt it.
It was a good thing you did not continue to use yours it would of just made things worse. And anyone out there reading this thread and following along with one of Thor's Super C, you better get it fixed ASAP, not only is your front going to get worse but you are going to have water intrusion in that cap seam, it is NOT water tight, no adhesive/sealer in there at all.

Thank you for compliments on the work Judge, it is very much appreciated.

If mine gets to an obvious point, you'll see it for sale on RVTrader.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by chunker21

If mine gets to an obvious point, you'll see it for sale on RVTrader.

Based on kwplot and Pillbox posts about their front cap repairs and the now exposed construction methods and components hidden under the cosmetics, it's not if..... it's when. The screws used in the side wall under the molding will break and come loose eventually as the beginning of the problem. It just depends on how much leveling you do and how many rough roads you drive over.

It would be easier to sell before it becomes obvious. You have three choices really...

- Get ahead of it now and have someone address it for you

- Sell the coach before the issue becomes visible

- Fix it after it becomes visible and then keep it or sell it after it has been fixed

[pohoda]

So glad I stumbled onto this thread. First off amazing write-up and work in getting this properly done. I am about to take my BH35 into a local well regarded shop and this is one of the main things I am having them address. I have heard they have fixed other Thor Super Cs, but I would be surprised if they are doing anything close to this level of repair. Now that I have this to reference I am going to see if I can convince them to do something similar. It would be worth it if they are already going to be into it. Once again excellent write-up and nice job!

[chunker21]

Originally Posted by Judge

Based on kwplot and Pillbox posts about their front cap repairs and the now exposed construction methods and components hidden under the cosmetics, it's not if..... it's when. The screws used in the side wall under the molding will break and come loose eventually as the beginning of the problem. It just depends on how much leveling you do and how many rough roads you drive over.

It would be easier to sell before it becomes obvious. You have three choices really...

- Get ahead of it now and have someone address it for you

- Sell the coach before the issue becomes visible

- Fix it after it becomes visible and then keep it or sell it after it has been fixed

Yes I'm weighing those options. As you are aware availability of a replacement is in short supply. Except for welding, I can handle the repair and "restoration" of the front cap. But now I would have a nice secure cap on a substandard build of the rest of the coach. I'm still waiting on the Ford dealer to figure out why the PS system is leaking so I can't get into the A/C ducting issue yet. After I figure that out, who knows what will be found next. I'm planning a spring trip to TX Big Bend, western NM then TX hill country but will be back before the 1 year warranty runs out. If it survives that trip then we'll see what my next move is.

I need to find a Dynamax Isata 5 34DS to look at. Or maybe if the next floorpan of the Europa doesn't have the folding bed I may consider that.

[kwplot34]

The fix is really not that hard, just time consuming, if you had an extra pair of hands it would go much faster, I am use to doing repairs or builds by myself so I have a lot of experience in working around issues where another person is needed. If you don't have a TIG welder to weld the aluminum don't let that hold you back, there is most likely a professional welder in your area or a welding and fabrication shop in your area.
And if anyone decides to tackle the job their self and have some questions, just ask, I will be more than happy to answer your questions and help you out.
Also I wouldn't let this issue get to you, any RV you purchase is going to have it's own set of issues and problems, I have owned 3 motor homes by different manufactures and all of them were not assembled very well and I think they get their fasteners from the same vendor, cheap, worthless, junk self tapping screws.

[kwplot34]

On to todays fix. I moved up on the roof to replace the cheap self tapping screws that I was sure I would find up there and I was not disappointed
All of them were loose and pushing up thru the Dicor sealant in one pic you will see quite a bulge in the Dicor and will see some of the screw heads pushing thru. The fasteners were screwed into the aluminum frame work in the roof just like the side and has the same issue as the sides, short screw, only screwed into one wall of the metal frame and over tightened with screw guns and pulled the holes, they really should take the screw guns away from the employees until they learn how to properly use them.
To my surprise there is a metal strip that runs across the roof that the screws go thru first and clamp down on, that save me some time of not having to install one like I have done on the other fixes. And no broken screws found this time, that was huge surprise.