Thor Forums

[jabrabu]

About a year ago I bought a 2017 Chateau 23U. It was obvious that it was put together very quickly and cheaply, and I was constantly fixing stuff between trips. We recently decided to upsize, and I was strongly considering another brand since the quality seemed to be better in the Fleetwood/Holiday Rambler, Jayco, and Winnebago. However, we (especially my wife) really like the design and decor of the Thors, so we ended up buying a new Chateau 31E.

Initially, I found a leftover 2017 Four Winds at a good price, so decided to buy it. At the last minute the dealer called and said that it had mold and they were going to send it back to Thor. This was after it had already been sent back to Thor earlier for a water leak problem. The dealer had a new 2018 Chateau that I bought instead. I thought maybe it was a bait-and-switch, but I saw the 2017 Four Winds and its moldy mattress. The hole for the bedroom window was cut too small, so the window didn't fit all the way in, and this left a gap for water to get in. You'd think that the guy installing the window would say "Hey, it doesn't fit. We need to cut the hole bigger." And you'd think that there was some level of quality inspection that would find a glaring problem like this. It's pretty obvious that there is very little quality control in the build process.

Now, my 2018 Chateau seems to be better put together. The drawers and cabinets close properly, the entry door seals properly, there are fewer rattles, and there have only been some minor issues that were easy to fix. I have still found over a dozen loose screws and washers, but I think that's expected. The salesman commented that they seem to be building them slower now and the quality seems better.

I did notice yesterday while crawling underneath the RV that there was a bundle of wire zip-tied to itself just hanging there. It looked like about 75 ft. of extra wiring harness that was just coiled up and left hanging under its own weight. It was hanging lower than anything else so seemed likely to get damaged. I zip-tied it up to the frame. It seems like they would cut the wiring to closer to the correct length to save the cost of all that extra wire.