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Old 05-30-2021, 04:27 AM   #1
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THOR #23628
Winegard blew off and roof tore off

Hello! In April I purchased a 2021 Thor Freedom Traveler 2021 A32. It has been nothing but trouble, but this last incident is the worst. Yesterday, while driving to Arizona, the Winegard satellite blew off the roof and a tear was caused in the roof. The tear grew and the roof turned into what I can only describe as a parachute. It was the scariest event. I pulled into a KOA in Needles, and the rig was towed to a dealer in Laughlin. Has this happened to anyone else? How was it covered under warranty? Pics attached
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Old 05-30-2021, 04:47 AM   #2
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YIKES! What a nightmare. It looks like it's not glued down. Call Thor customer service and try to get some help. I recall the roofing material is warrantied for 10 years but not the installation. Good luck.
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Old 05-30-2021, 05:26 AM   #3
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THOR #23628
Thank you for the reply! Yes, it was so scary. I called Thor’s after hours number last night and I have a case number already. I will keep my fingers crossed that this repair will be covered.... I’ve only had it for 1.5 months and it’s been at the shop for most of it. I’m so upset. This was the first of a 19 day trip to Texas. I’m now back at home. No more trip. Thankfully it happened on day one so my husband could rescue us and help get us back home. But I am still in shock and can’t imagine having to fight with Thor about coverage. Who would have thought that a satellite would detach, blow away, and a tear would be caused on a brand new rig?
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Old 05-30-2021, 10:54 AM   #4
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This most certainly will be covered under the factory warranty given is it still a
new unit.

I have a couple theories of what happened......

The wood on the roof is nothing but very thin plywood so the screws should have been into the aluminum sctructure. Either the person installing it missed the crossmembers the screws were only in the thin plywood.

Or they did screw it into the aluminum cross-members bur over-tightened the screws and they were stripped into the metal. The gorillas at Thor on the assmebly line have their screws guns set at maximum torque so they often over tighten screws and small bolts. I have had to make numerous repairs to two coaches because they over-tightened screws.

In either case it was only a matter of time until the air at highway speeds would provide enough force to pull it off the roof.

I am sorry for all of your troubles. Qualit control in the RV indsutry is nonexistent and I think this is just another example that quality and workmanship got worse as a result of the demand put on the industry because of COVID.
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:31 PM   #5
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I just looked at the roof schematic for my FW 28A. It shows the areas that have stuff mounted (Winegard, place for a satellite dish, area where the ladder attaches) are covered with EGS (?) that I assume is a metal sheet.

I think that the screws were not tightened or maybe not even installed!
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:32 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by waynetaylor55 View Post
I just looked at the roof schematic for my FW 28A. It shows the areas that have stuff mounted (Winegard, place for a satellite dish, area where the ladder attaches) are covered with EGS (?) that I assume is a metal sheet.

I think that the screws were not tightened or maybe not even installed!
You can see the screw holes through the plywood in the one pci. It is more likely they were over-tightened or they missed the metal.
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:41 PM   #7
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Seems odd those screws wouldn't hold ... Just wondering as a possibility, if the roof membrane might have come free at the front, then pulled the Winegard unit off - if the problem didn't actually start with the roof membrane itself.
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:45 PM   #8
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You can see the screw holes through the plywood in the one pci. It is more likely they were over-tightened or they missed the metal.
Yeah, I see that now. Probably over tightened.

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Old 05-30-2021, 02:57 PM   #9
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This is not a murder mystery.......

The Winegard unit had Dicor covering the feet to seal the screws to prevent water intrusion. One thing about Thor is they put down a lot of Dicor and Dicor does a good job sticking to the roof when it is new and clean.

I have seen so many screws over-tightened on two Thor coaches.... and screws too small in diameter or too short for the job than I can count. I have had to do my own repairs with larger and longer screws all over the coaches.

The unskilled labor is all about doing work fast more than they are doing work right. They grab a screw (may be the right screw or the wrong screw for the job).... then with their screw guns set on max torque they crank away.

If they hit metal and over-tightened the screws, then it would not take much force after some vibration from driving for them to loosen up. If they missed the metal and only hit plywood, the screws would not hold too long given the thin the wood used. Then as the air gets under the Winegard and it starts to lift with the Dicor still attached to the roof membrane.

While the Wingard was lifting and being held to the membrane by the Dicor the roof stretches a bit. Eventually the Dicor can't hold it down and the Winegard is flying off and crashing to road (and hopefully not through someones windshield).

The roof membrane likely stretched enough that it started to tear or it pulled away from its moutning points. Once the wind gets under the membrane that is torn open and it starts blowing around and at 60MPH it becomes a parachute... as the OP said.... and it starts to tear away even more from its mounting points.

Any way you slice it..... its a damn shame.... and this stuff should not happen for the amount of money someone spends on a brand new coach.
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Old 05-30-2021, 03:05 PM   #10
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Who installed the satellite? It doesn't come standard on the Freedom Traveler but the "Satellite Mounting Backer in Roof" does. So if the backer is intact, this may not be a Thor warranty issue.

How did towing the RV overcome the "parachute" problem? Seems it could have been driven to the dealer without the tow bill.
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Old 05-30-2021, 03:09 PM   #11
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sounds like an insurance claim, not a warranty item...
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Old 05-30-2021, 03:17 PM   #12
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Winegard blew off and roof tore off

The Freedom Traveler does come with the Winegard ConnecT 2.0. I’m assuming she is a newbie and called it a satellite.

From the outline in the membrane and the mounting points, it looks like the ConnecT 2 to me.

And why make a claim against your own insurance if this was a factory installed accessory?

If it really was a satellite system added and it was done by the dealer, it is still a warranty claim.
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Old 05-30-2021, 05:07 PM   #13
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If you think that it's an insurance issue: exactly what covered peril caused the problem?
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Old 05-30-2021, 05:22 PM   #14
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Called the winegard what it's not.
Mentions a LOT of problems without listing them.
Towing isn't a cure(unless they towed it backwards).

I'll say the odds of a tree limb tearing this off is as good as it just coming off by itself.

Its not exactly unheard of winegard coming off, but it probably takes something besides it just coming off.

I don't know when this happened but that area recently had 75mph gusts with a semi steady 50mph.
A dip in the 40 just north of the weighstation at tye az/ca border(you know the one) and a gust of wind at the same time has tipped trucks, let alone torn off roof goodies.

We need way more information.
Did the op retrieve the winegard?
If its a tree strike, then it'd insurance not warranty IF it were seen at the time of the strike. I think you have a duty to not allow further damage to be caused.

Thor: 'We need to see the winegard'
Op:" we don't have it'.
Thor:'no proof no warranty'.

Or Thor will be gracious and just fix it. They're known to do such things.

Mention the many problems and she'll be treated as a problem. Her adamancy will be interpreted as hostile by some poor phone clerk who would rather have ANY job than thor complaint department.
They don't have that type job because of vast skills. Nice gets you a LOT.

Attitude will be paramount when on the phone to Thor.
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Old 05-30-2021, 07:39 PM   #15
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Always nice to post a problem and have the "experts" decide you are lying. It must have been that one lone tree towering over the interstate near Needles Arizona that did the trick. (Fat chance finding that)
Once the air gets under the rubber membrane at speed, it's gone

Kimberjean, sorry about your problem, On the surface, sounds like warranty,
hope it is fixed soon...
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Old 05-30-2021, 07:56 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
If you think that it's an insurance issue: exactly what covered peril caused the problem?
Could it have been a storm with high temperatures and a high pressure system that caused the air in the tires to expand thus raising the coach just high enough to hit a tree that had a swaying branch swing downward due to high winds? Due to the heavy rains and failed blades OP could not see that the Satellite, Winegard, or whatever that may have been up on the roof had blown off.

This is more proof why we all need TPMS, as this may have been avoided
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Old 05-30-2021, 08:03 PM   #17
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Old 05-30-2021, 08:07 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Hooligan2 View Post
Kimberjean, sorry about your problem, On the surface, sounds like warranty,
hope it is fixed soon...
Sounds like warranty for who?

From outside, it is not clear what was actually on the roof and who actually installed?

Maybe this is all standard from factory and that would sound like Thor is only option for warranty. But maybe installed by a Dealer, or someone else?

OP says "It has been nothing but trouble, but this last incident is the worst." They have owned the RV for 6 weeks; so sounds like there may be more under the roof not known (pun intended). I don't think anyone is saying anyone is lying, but as you say for the experts to help they have to know the materials facts to provide the answers. Doesn't help OP for all to say Thor should fix without knowing materially what happened. I will watch this thread and hope the OP lays out more info.
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Old 05-30-2021, 08:23 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkoldman View Post
Could it have been a storm with high temperatures and a high pressure system that caused the air in the tires to expand thus raising the coach just high enough to hit a tree that had a branch swing downward due to high winds? Due to the heavy rains and failed blades OP could not see that the Satellite, Wingard, or whatever that may have been up on the roof had blown off.

This more proof why we all need TPMS, as this may have been avoided
Yeah Bob, Come on man. Whats wrong with you? You losing game?
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Old 05-30-2021, 08:37 PM   #20
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I'm sitting here watching "Kelly's Heroes". "The Green Berets" comes on next...
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