really poor construction

blw2 · 07-03-2014, 01:06 PM

I'm trying to keep a possitive and happy outlook....
.....but I've just got to say it someplace...... Thor's qc really stinks!
.... well maybe my coach was just built on a bad day....

There were a ton of little things that jumped out at me at the PDI that got fixed, but so many more I've found in my short time with the MH....

the divider door (accordian type) between the bed and the bath has one of those pot in a hole friction latches, well the post misses the hole by approx 1/2in!

I pulled out a couple drawers.... well the first one fell out of the tracks while my wife was loading it.... so I found only one tiny little screw in each mounting point for the drawer guides.... they are able to just swing and flop in the breeze.... so I'm going through and adding additional scres and fixing split wood as I go.....
& I'm finding a few where the guides feed the drawer in at an angle and so the catch at the bottom of the drawer intended to keep the drawers closed in transit, are not engaging.... and there's dropped screws I'm finding inside and under things to properly secure 90% of these things....

just poor craftsmanship..... and poor qc for not catching it.

thankfully, nothing so far is so bad that I feel I need to take it in for warranty, and easier to just fix myself so that i know it's done better (or as right as possible)..... well there is a couple things that i probably will take in. I'll see if any more major stuff pops up

FW28z · 07-03-2014, 07:59 PM

The old boater's saying (and also applies to RVs):

"The only thing that works on a boat/RV is the owner..."

mrnoyb · 07-03-2014, 10:35 PM

BOAT...bring over another thousand

My coach isn't that bad...yet!

FW28z · 07-03-2014, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrnoyb

BOAT...bring over another thousand

And that's just gas money...

Luckly our RV is a lot less expensive than our boat was.

DavisK · 07-04-2014, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FW28z

And that's just gas money...

Luckly our RV is a lot less expensive than our boat was.

My boat is about the same length as my 5er - just wider. One of my sons and I took it out one day all around the Chesapeake Bay. We traveled 160 miles by the GPS and burned 80 gallons of gasoline.

rivraton · 07-04-2014, 08:35 AM

Ah yes boating expenses, let's see berth rent, fuel, haul-out bottom cleaning / anti-foul paint, teak oil. Yep RVing is cheaper, but I do miss by boat.

FW28z · 07-04-2014, 12:44 PM

My last boat was a Carver 325. Twin V8s. Max speed about 28kts. At the most efficient cruising speed (19kts) we got 0.8 mpg.

Yea, even though we are enjoying our RV, we also misss the boat on occasion.

Lloyd · 07-08-2014, 07:50 PM

What are you guys doing with all the money you have left over now?

FW28z · 07-08-2014, 07:53 PM

Not so much as having any money left over as we are not spending as much money with the RV compared to the boat.

**fhenn** · 07-08-2014, 08:05 PM

I do not even want to talk about when we fill up the fountain 38 with two chevy big blocks might explain why my partner and I only take it out twice a month any more

Chevyshop · 07-09-2014, 12:15 AM

I too have a new 2015 31L and are shocked at the condition of this coach. This was not a display model as we placed the order and waited for it to be built. Just a few of the defects are scratches to cupboards and wood surfaces, oven door scratched, table top scratched, outlet hanging out of the wall, and many screws and staples sticking out everywhere. The dealer is working with us to correct what they can. The warranty rep at Thor was less than friendly or helpful.

blw2 · 07-09-2014, 12:57 PM

it's a catch 22 for them I suppose...
they are making a lot of money per unit this way..... I mean a lot of money!
but they are probably spending a fair bit on warranty claims
but they probably aren't selling high volumes like say honda sells odysee vans....

They could increase quality and reduce the proffit per unit
....which would result in reduced warranty issues
.... and arguably happier customers that may be more loyal
then would they sell more units?

.... meanwhile folks like me save them a lot for just fixing these silly little things myself rather than going to the hassle....which is I'm sure what they are banking on.

I have worked hours in this thing in the few weeks I've had it.... much of that time is doing stuff i want to do such as installing a ladder to the overhead bunk.... search me why that wasn't included???? I've added battery disconnects, bug screens to keep wasps out, etc.... but a fair bit of the time has been fixing little things and building my list of points to either fix or take in....

additionally:

I opened up the cabinet where the water pump and tank is located, just to see whta's in there. First noticed that the cabinet door is soplit where they jurry-rigged a screw therough the face to attach it. Why not use a proper latch????
Then I noticed that the fresh water tank vent tubing was cut maybe 4inches too long, so that it was kinked to make the necessary bend to the outside fitting!

Last night, I was looking at the puckering vinyl flooring, and noticed that it is loose all over so it must be a perimter glue down. (the flooring picks up if you stick a vacuum hose to it and lift....), but I happened to notice there is something under the floor that i didn't see before. Don't know if it's trash or if it's a screw or nail pop.... but that will I'm sure poke through and be a hole in short order, and since it's perimiter glue down, there's no easy way to get it out..... ugh.

The living room TV bracket has nothing to support the latch side of the TV so mine was sagging and rubbing the cabinet. The latch should be designed so that the weight of the TV is resting on the latch.

velcro buttons along the windshield for the curtain were missing

There is carpet under the water heater!?!! This is a full vinyl coach with no carpet on the floors at all....e xcept under teh water heater

I discovered that my shower is leaking out onto the floor. Looks like a bad cailuking job around the door, and it looks like the caulked it with silicone making any repair very difficult.

the crown valance along the back wall of the bedroom fell the other day. Only held in place with adhesive that failed, no mechanical attachment!

Just saw last night some exterior trim coming loose

countless screws missing or loose

bath door wasn't meeting the strike plate so it wasn't latching properly

the pantry slide out catches are too week for the weight and it flys open while travelling

the thermostat was loose on the wall, and I found screws through the thin paneling with no anchors whatsover.

blw2 · 07-09-2014, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chevyshop

I too have a new 2015 31L and are shocked at the condition of this coach. This was not a display model as we placed the order and waited for it to be built. Just a few of the defects are scratches to cupboards and wood surfaces, oven door scratched, table top scratched, outlet hanging out of the wall, and many screws and staples sticking out everywhere. The dealer is working with us to correct what they can. The warranty rep at Thor was less than friendly or helpful.

Chevyshop
despite all the little things I've found so far, we are still liking the floor plan, and reasonably happy.....with one trouble spot.... the toilet.
When looking, my wife mentioned the weird toilet up on a platform thing as being a problem. It's ugly, but I dismissed it and convinced her, thinking it was a short toilet on a platform = normal height. I don't think either of us sat on it as a test. Mistake.
I'm average height, 5ft-10in and my feet don't touch the floor!
have you given thought to a solution?

Chevyshop · 07-09-2014, 01:26 PM

Oh yes, the toilet. I too am average height and build. How does a person stand up to it to do one's business. Definitely need to be a contortionist. Sitting? my feet don't reach the floor.
My biggest issue is a vibration in the drive line. Thor says they have never had an issue before. My MH has been at a reputable Ford dealer for 5 weeks and still don't have a clue. We are finally starting to get some involvement from Thor and MorRyde (company that stretches the frame for Thor) and the are looking at driveshaft angles and mounts. I will post more after repair is accomplished.

blw2 · 07-09-2014, 01:30 PM

bummer!
good luck getting that sorted out....

petef · 07-26-2014, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chevyshop

Oh yes, the toilet. I too am average height and build. How does a person stand up to it to do one's business. Definitely need to be a contortionist. Sitting? my feet don't reach the floor.
My biggest issue is a vibration in the drive line. Thor says they have never had an issue before. My MH has been at a reputable Ford dealer for 5 weeks and still don't have a clue. We are finally starting to get some involvement from Thor and MorRyde (company that stretches the frame for Thor) and the are looking at driveshaft angles and mounts. I will post more after repair is accomplished.

I bought a Hurricane 27k a month ago, it has been at the Ford shop for 3 weeks, they test drove it and said it seems normal ( vibrations I complain about)... and charged me $115 to take a test drive. I took it to a commercial tire store that had balancing equipment, they found 1 bent wheel and 2 out of round tires. Now the tires are Goodyear and the Goodyear Rv tire dealer ( Camping World) does not warranty tires, they only sell them., the wheel is a truck wheel yet the Ford truck shop that had it for 3 weeks told me to go to an Ford Auto dealer to get the wheel. I called a Thor dealer here for another warranty work, as the original post is correct, many small issues, they told me to drop it off for 3 weeks before they would look at it, I said I can come in three weeks, they said no, drop it off to get in line. again, Camping World. I did not buy it there so I suppose this is how they treat non buying customers? I have bought Mercedes and Lincolns around the country and always had superior service when needed at any dealer. I guess THOR has not informed the dealers of this type of service yet. I am really disappointed. My dash a/c does not work either so am trying to figure out if I want to leave the coach for a month to have a dealer look at it. Or just go out of pocket. It is sad way to treat customers.

FW28z · 07-26-2014, 12:49 AM

My coach has the toilet on the platform as well (which is actually the wheel well for the rear dually).

My wife is 5'3" and I built a little platform that sits in front of the toilet so her feet can touch the floor when she has a sit-down.

True, we cannot open the lower vanity door when the platform is used as a step, but you have to figure out those kinds of things.

The platform doubles as an extra step under the entry door those few times when we are on un-level ground and have an extra-long step to the ground... problem solved.

I'm 6'2" so I don't have a height problem, but I am left handed so the orientation of the toilet means there is little room on the left side of the toilet.

I won't describe that issue further.

Thing is, before getting into RV'ing, we had 3 boats over the years that had "heads" in them (toilets are called heads in boats). And I have to say, there is about twice the amount of room in the RV as we had in the boat.

So it could be worse...

petef · 07-26-2014, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FW28z

My coach has the toilet on the platform as well (which is actually the wheel well for the rear dually).

My wife is 5'3" and I built a little platform that sits in front of the toilet so her feet can touch the floor when she has a sit-down.

True, we cannot open the lower vanity door when the platform is used as a step, but you have to figure out those kinds of things.

The platform doubles as an extra step under the entry door those few times when we are on un-level ground and have an extra-long step to the ground... problem solved.

I'm 6'2" so I don't have a height problem, but I am left handed so the orientation of the toilet means there is little room on the left side of the toilet.

I won't describe that issue further.

Thing is, before getting into RV'ing, we had 3 boats over the years that had "heads" in them (toilets are called heads in boats). And I have to say, there is about twice the amount of room in the RV as we had in the boat.

So it could be worse...

I don't mind the upstage toilet, but I am 6' and wife is tall... I did have boats for years in Florida, so now on land in the middle of the desert., but the Bust Out Another Thousand should not apply to an Rv with 3000 miles on it!

The crappy attitude of the service centers involved so far is really disturbing. Thor should pull thier dealerships if they can't treat customers properly.
Marcus is getting a letter from me. I am hoping Thor steps up and resolves all this and reimburse me for my expenses.

blw2 · 07-26-2014, 01:27 AM

I'm not so sure that the bad attitude with regards to customer service doesn't go all the way up to Thor. That's really based only on the crappy QC and the appearent lack of care that screams. I really don't think it's just CW. I'm sure there are exceptions, but it seems more of a industry wide systemic thing......

petef · 07-26-2014, 01:43 AM

In think THOR should be setting the standard for customer service with their dealers, it sets the bar. Right now it seems to be do as you want. I understand protecting territories but the bar is way to low for me to be treated the way I have been. The QC is another matter, I could post many pictures of obvious failure on my coach. Some are simple, like you could not put a screw in straight? Others are more serious, like not shimming the bar that supports the microwave or the wires that hang down in front of the dump valve lever you have to hold out of the way when using that. Screws coming out that are not fastened, the most simple thing is that almost every 27k I have seen the second step rubber is cracked, because it has no support, the step pad is not cut correctly to fit the wood platform. It goes on...

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