I’m beginning to regret buying a Thor product

[LockChuck92]

Third trip, cab air conditioner blows only HOT (and I mean HOT) air, generator faults out while running like absolute crap, and this FINE example of finish and workmanship. And my much ballyhooed Thor concierge service has called me one friggin time, and the lady seemed like she could absolutely care less about anything I had to say. It’s a damn shame to pay this much money for this mess.

[bharrisv65]

Originally Posted by LockChuck92

Third trip, cab air conditioner blows only HOT (and I mean HOT) air, generator faults out while running like absolute crap, and this FINE example of finish and workmanship. And my much ballyhooed Thor concierge service has called me one friggin time, and the lady seemed like she could absolutely care less about anything I had to say. It’s a damn shame to pay this much money for this mess.

I originally posted in another thread I would never buy another new Thor but would buy a gently owned used one....well, six months into this one, there's no way I'd own another Thor PERIOD! I've seen and fixed so much CRAPPY workmanship that I'd be afraid to sink money into another one. I know other brands have issues as well but I cannot believe some of the upscale ones would be so haphazardly made. I think a Tiffin is going to be my choice in the near future. I believe they're probably several steps above the quality of a Thor, which really, is non-existent in my experience.

I believe Thor and others who just throw a crappy product together intend it to be a kit...for you and the dealer to finish out.

[Bob Denman]

I'm sorry to hear of the difficulties that you guys have experienced. I hope that things get sorted out properly for you both!

[bigben]

Ditto what Bob said. Never a good thing to be constantly working on the coach rather than enjoying.

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by LockChuck92

Third trip, cab air conditioner blows only HOT (and I mean HOT) air, generator faults out while running like absolute crap, and this FINE example of finish and workmanship. And my much ballyhooed Thor concierge service has called me one friggin time, and the lady seemed like she could absolutely care less about anything I had to say. It’s a damn shame to pay this much money for this mess.

Sorry to hear about your frustration. It's always disappointing to see a fellow camper experiencing issues.

However, know that many of us have been in your shoes...trust me. This online community has always been my number one resource in helping me troubleshoot my rig's issues.

It will take some time "dialing" in your coach. Go on any discussion forum for Tiffin, Newmar, Winnebago, and even Foretravel to see that even those rigs have issues.

Don't give up on the coach. Most importantly, don't second guess your decision. You worked hard to get your coach. Your dream coach just needs to be massaged a bit more.

Stay focused...keep your excitement alive.

[Yvonnemarc]

The cab A/C would be the Ford chassis A/C? or a roof top unit? Rusty screw on the hinge...ez fix. Generator is a bit of diagnosing sounds a bit like the fuel delivery system if it stumbles or surges. This thing is like an elephant, one bite at a time... you can't eat it all at once. Chip away at them one at time. Soon it'll all be good.

[LockChuck92]

Originally Posted by Yvonnemarc

The cab A/C would be the Ford chassis A/C? or a roof top unit? Rusty screw on the hinge...ez fix. Generator is a bit of diagnosing sounds a bit like the fuel delivery system if it stumbles or surges. This thing is like an elephant, one bite at a time... you can't eat it all at once. Chip away at them one at time. Soon it'll all be good.

The cab ac is Thor’s side of it. Compressor kicks in just fine, coil is in perfect shape; it seems to be the blend valves installed by Thor. Regardless, it’s something post-ford install. The generator, I realize is Onan, not Thor...but the third time out it craps out?!? Are you kidding me? And finally, this is much more than a rusty hinge - the pictures uploaded sideways for some reason. What you are seeing is the entire wallboard in the bathroom separating from the wall studs. Damn thing is barely held in place by staples anyway. I guess I’m just supposed to grin and bear it? The price tag on this thing is far beyond me smiling for this type of quality. Does Thor look at these boards? Because they won’t return a call!

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by rvfigs

Sorry to hear about your frustration. It's always disappointing to see a fellow camper experiencing issues.

However, know that many of us have been in your shoes...trust me. This online community has always been my number one resource in helping me troubleshoot my rig's issues.

It will take some time "dialing" in your coach. Go on any discussion forum for Tiffin, Newmar, Winnebago, and even Foretravel to see that even those rigs have issues.

Don't give up on the coach. Most importantly, don't second guess your decision. You worked hard to get your coach. Your dream coach just needs to be massaged a bit more.

Stay focused...keep your excitement alive.

As for the wall separating & held together with staples all I can say is WOW!.....
Now I wonder where else this is going to show up? Hopefully not the overhead cupboards...

And Yes even a Foretravel can have "birthing" issues. ...
Ours had several light switches that were faulty (mfg warranty) two of the dual pane windows didn't have a good seal, and the bed securement latch was bent. (single slide, N/S bed hinged to allow access to the top of the 500 hp DP engine, side radiator)

Oh ya...forgot that they "forgot" to install the roll out tray with waste basket under the galley sink!
The mfg did catch all those issues during PDI.
(They would not release the coach to us, nor accept the final amount due until it fully passed their final PDI.

'02 was the 1st year for the seamless front and rear cap.. ours separated (cracked apart) after 2 years, FT repaired no cost and haven't had an issue since.

Our former coach was a Thor/Four Winds Infinity...top of the line in '99.
34-H..P-30 chassis..., after 2 years had had enough, ordered the Foretravel..Think it may out live me..

Good luck on getting yours sorted out.

[Joe-FL]

Over the years I have had better luck buying used than new, at least when it comes to needing repairs and such.

Our current coach was new and not a Thor owned company. Between November and now I had it back to dealer twice for repairs/adjustments. I probably have over 10 hours of my own labor invested in fixing stuff myself.

I knew going in that there would be issues. As long as they are not serious and can be fixed in the first few months I am good with that.

To me it is just a part of owning any RV. Probably what separates Thor from my current coach manufacturer is their customer care department. On the weekends I can call them with a question and the factory phone lines roll over to representative's cell phones. They actually answer and have the knowledge you need.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by Yvonnemarc

This thing is like an elephant, one bite at a time... you can't eat it all at once. Chip away at them one at time.

What a GREAT way to look at it!!

What if you mixed some mayonnaise in with that elephant?

[BradnKaren]

Unfortunately it seems a lot of things made these days are not the quality they once were. Customer service is also not what it use to be. In my experience returned calls happen less and less. Persistence is key.

We shopped extensively before we bought our Thor. A Tiffin model was 2nd choice. In the end it mostly came down to money. The Tiffin was the closest in size and options but was $22k more.

We are 15 months into our new Thor and do not regret it at all. We love it. It has been back to the dealer multiple time for warranty work. Some mechanical, some cosmetic. Some major and some minor. Some items fixed by my husband because he can. Our Thor contact has always been helpful and responsive, as has the dealer.

The thing about RVs is they almost always need something fixed. It's just the nature of the beast. There are A LOT of parts and functions, all of which shake, rattle, and roll down the road. We've owned 4 motor homes in the last 20 years, 3 of which were purchased used. They ALL needed fixing pretty regularly. Our first was a 20 year old Winnebago we bought from the original owner. He told my husband that at any given time at least one thing will be broken on it. That was 22 years ago. He was right and that held mostly true through all of them.

It helps to be handy which my husband and I are. If not, I think helps to reasonably understand and accept that you're going to have to pay to have someone else fix issues, outside of any warranty. I look at choosing the Thor over Tiffen as having $22k that we could put into the Thor fixing stuff if necessary. It's hard to imagine spending that and we haven't had to repair anything outside of warranty yet, so I count us as way ahead. Our Challenger thanks to Thor, the dealer, and my husband is running smooth and completely operational. We have one broken blind at the moment. One of those things that I mentioned earlier. Very minor in my opinion.

It helps to understand that things happen with RVs. They need more care and attention than houses and cars. It helps to be patient when it comes to the warranty work. It also helps to be knowledgeable about the product, and that's where this forum is a goldmine of help and information.

I'm sorry you're having problems with your Thor. It is understandable when we pay what is to most people, including us, a very large sum of money for something only to have problems pop up constantly. Granted there will be an occasional real lemon. But I believe if you can be patient and let Thor handle any problems under warranty, expect an occasional problem you'll have to handle after that, you find you'll be happy with your Thor once all the "kinks" are worked out.

[axis earl]

Just remembered that we had a bit of that separation going on in the same area of the bathroom in our 2016 Axis. I found some good quality glue, shot it between the separation and then left it clamped overnight. Irritating, yes, but fixed.

[Chance]

Must be a common problem, because a few years ago we stopped at a Camping World to look at an Axis 24.1 and the bathroom wall was separated in a similar manner.

I can get over stuff I can fix like that — she not so much. Poor quality sitting on a lot can do a lot of damage to a brand.

[Thehobe1]

Everyone regrets buying a Thor or any other RV product but we get what we pay for. I have had 2 RV's in my last 15 years and they both were built as cheaply as possible. A 1999 Gulfstream and a 2017 Thor Vegas. I paid $63,000 for a 2017 Vegas 25.2 after it had been sitting on the lot for a year. The batteries were bad, the radio was broken and the dealer did not prep the vehicle properly.....But, it was CHEAP when you consider that the E450 chassis alone would cost over $30,000 from Ford. These RV's are thrown together quickly and I am amazed that they come out as good as they do. You have be a little bit of a mechanic when you buy an RV or go to the dealer constanlty.

[jpmihalk]

I think Brad and Karen's answer i closest to my opinion. You always have to remember that an RV has the issues of any truck, plus a house, and it is being driven during both a hurricane and an earthquake. Everything shakes and rattles and the wind howls around it. Yes, they could be built better but then you would be paying more - a LOT more. Hence the comments about Tiffin quality. I know several Tiffin owners who have had to return to Red Bay for warranty work, even with their higher quality units. The more we use them, the more likely something will break or go wrong.

In our previous RV, the generator didn't get used much by the previous owners. It simply wouldn't run for more than 15 minutes once the outside temps got above 80 degrees. When it was all said and done, we had to replace the fuel pump and the rotor and stator set... not cheap. And then we traded that RV for our new Thor. Lesson learned.

As far as sidewall separation and the stapling, yes... it isn't the best workmanship. We also tried to keep ours looking as new as possible for as long as possible... that lasted about a week until we dug a big scratch on the wall next to the door because we forgot something and lowered the front bunk, digging it into the wall. Stuff happens...

As to yours, if it is under warranty, get it fixed! Harass the dealer until they step up. Harass Thor Customer Service until they support you. We didn't have a problem with either Thor or our dealer (who has since sold his company to Camping World.) But not all dealers are the same and they can make all of the difference in the world.

[Skip 500]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

What a GREAT way to look at it!!

What if you mixed some mayonnaise in with that elephant?

I like mine with mustard!

[Laco]

Motorhomes in general are a maintenance nightmare, all of them. Tiffin's have their share of problems, as do virtually all others. There is a Prevost service center not too far from where I live. Now we are talking very high end coaches, the least expensive ones running over a million dollars. They are backed up for months, to even get in for warrantee work, and they too have problems with workmanship etc, like all others. My former 41 foot DP was a fairly high end coach, won't name the brand, but its well known. Took me virtually three years to work out all the bugs, most were fairly minor, some were really annoying. Then there were all the recalls, because of assembly issues, and in some cases failures because of incorrect materials used. My point is, part of owning an RV is dealing with what often seems like non-stop service and maintenance issues, some caused by assembly problems, some because our wonderful highways, just beat them up so much, just rolling over them.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by Skip 500

I like mine with mustard!

That IS a lower calorie alternative!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN5EZwanClY

[Skip 500]

We too have been going through the trials and tribulations of buying a new Thor. The tough thing is we are 4 1/2 hours from the purchasing dealer. So, we are pretty handy and have been repairing things ourselves. So far, we had stains on the ceiling from the build which was stain and glue. Local Dunn and Edwards paint store did an outstanding job of mixing up a color for us that matched perfectly in and Acrylic Latex paint. Al of the staples that hold the paneling in place were never countersunk, sunk all those, filled the holes and touched up. Next project is determining why the bathroom door is warped. The flooring is buckled by the entry steps, have to figure out how to stretch this and glue down.

So far, all of the mechanical works, but first trip is I a couple of weeks, Ill find out then.

[Skip 500]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

That IS a lower calorie alternative!