Foodsman wrote:
One thing I have found reading this and other threads is there is a singular theme on the different manufacturers.
Thor seem to be at the bottom of the list of manufacturer and generates the most anger. Although many Thor owners have good things to say!
Fleetwood, Forest River and Winnebago/Itaska seem to be in the middle.
American, Entegra and Newmar at the top.
Tiffin has been considered a top line brand but apparently has had some serious trouble lately and Monaco and Holiday Rambler are off on their own because of the MaxxForce engine and Roadmaster Chassis. They do not seem to come up to the level of Cummins with Freightliner chassis (Spartan Chassis with Entegra).
So sure am I of this list that I can almost guarantee all future posts will dramatically change the order shown above... Ain't it just grand! :) ;)
Harry
I think you have a good grasp on the situation. MH's are unique in that they are assembled by hand and when you add a human to the mix you invite the opportunity for error. You can take 2 identical models that roll off the same day and they may be wired completely different, or have unique things to each one. The same coach, minutes apart. I have had nothing but a pleasant experience with Thor. Perhaps I am lucky but I think there are more than a few happy Thor owners. Would I buy a Palazzo? No. Would I buy a nicer coach if I had the money - sure - likely a Newmar. Would I buy a nicer coach if I had yet more money? Sure - Newell, Prevost, Foretravel etc. My point is this, Thor's business model is built on quantity. Getting units to the showroom floor as quickly as possible and build in a budget for repairs on the back end. This translates into 2 things; lack of quality and a cheaper price. Thor makes a budget MH with perhaps one high end offering. At the other end of the Spectrum you have companies like Newmar. They employ a better quality, better materials, higher skilled employees more control and get it to the floor with no issues, and if it does, we want to know so it does not happen again. Newmar seems to care more about quality. But Newmar will be the first to tell you they aren't the cheapest. Thor still maintains a healthy market share. And I will say this, despite the quantity over quality, they are likely the best innovator in the market. I have seen more blatant copies of design items from other manufacturers that start at Thor. They came up with the small entry level class A to bridge the Class C market, mud rooms, laptop work stations, brought back the drop down bunk, Pet windows, pet bowls, tinted gel coat, the double swing engine bay, the RUV etc etc. You look at an FR3. If that isn't darn near a complete copy of an ACE I don't know what is. Thor brings a lot to the table with respect to innovation in the industry, but their "ready, shoot, aim " approach to get to to market speaks ill of their execution strategy. But as a generalization I think you get the pecking order. But, at any given day you can have a good Thor roll off and a bad Newmar. It happens. But generally speaking if you have a small budget vs a large budget and still want a MH, there is a price point for everyone. And as in anything else, you often get what you pay for. I am very happy with my entry level Thor. Frankly I never thought I'd ever own a MH so it's a bit of a dream for me. And knock on wood (or veneer) it's a good one.