Thor Quality?

I've had mine for a little over a year. Thor owns Four Winds. I think that you have to put some work into all RV's in the form of maintenance and improvements. That I have done. But I have not had any major repair issues with my rig. Oh, and I have 137,000 miles on it. Bought it with 136,000.

Thor is primarily a holding company for a bunch of manufacturers that for the most part operate independently much like Forest River does. Some of the companies made good products, others not so good.

B.O.

I'm a software tester, I test an Internet Site for a major financial institution. The idea of "quality" has come up many times in my profession. And I have finally come up with a definition of what "Quality" is: An item is said to have "Quality" when it meets the conditions for which it was created.

For example, a chair's requirement might be designed and created to hold the maximum weight of 125 pounds. So it's created with light wood, it's glued with an marginal glue, and it's finished with a mid-grade varnish. When someone who weighs 125 pounds sites on the chair and it successfully supports him, and the chair does not collapse, we can all agree it has "quality". It is doing what it was designed to do.

However, if a 600 pound man sits on the same chair and it collapses, far too often it's implied that the chair was not made with any "quality" and it's a piece of junk. Is it "junk?" Absolutely not! It was designed to support 125 pounds, not 600 pounds, so when the 600 pound person sat, it broke. That's not the fault of the chair, the manufacturer, or any else. The reason the chair collapsed is because the person who sat on it, had a wrong misconception of what the chair should do!

So it's the same with any RV. Quality is a relative term. Thor Industries has made successful and good "quality" RV for many, many years, as has many other manufactures. But it only takes one negative review to bring doubt on the entire industry. And if the truth be told, more than likely, the problem was not in the way the camper was manufactured, more than likely the owner tried to use it in such a way it was not designed to be used.

So when someone starts talking about "bad quality", keep this thought in mind!

(Not only am I software tester that has to deal with this very concept every day, but I also have a relative that weighs over 500 pounds, and every time I see him sit, I wonder if the chair will hold him because most normal, every day, chairs are not built to support that much weight!) -- a real example here!

Thor owns Airstream, Crossroads, Dutchmen, Heartland, Keystone, and Livin Lite towables. And there are many many different models within those manufacturers ranging from low end entry level to high end luxury models.
So there no single answer to your question about Thor.

We have been watching and purchasing since our first pop-up in 1968. I must admit the quality found on your entry level and mid level can be suspect. We bought a Crossroads Cruiser in 2010 which I would call a mid range coach and I'm extremly pleased with the fit and finish. The only problems we have had were with non rv products such as TV. I recomend you find the floor plan you want , see who builds it and then start negotiate hard and compare warranties.

I had that vintage Dutchman 5er. Biggest POS I have ever owned. Sold it after 2 years.

We had trouble with everything from components to the frame. The worst issues were the shackles that hold the axle to the frame both had bad welds. Aluminum siding separated from the trailer. Twice.

Bad seals on the windows. Wiring on the furnace failed. Floor under the shower had to be replaced. I know I am forgetting (or more likely blocking out) many other issues.

At that age the care the previous owners took will trump original build.

My current '97 5er is a Park Avenue by Thor. Great unit for the cost.
Its the dated front cap square corner with a very flat profile.

Agree with others. Thor own many RV trailer brands. Some are very nice brands and others are entry level. That would be my concern.

DutchmenSport wrote:
I'm a software tester, I test an Internet Site for a major financial institution. The idea of "quality" has come up many times in my profession. And I have finally come up with a definition of what "Quality" is: An item is said to have "Quality" when it meets the conditions for which it was created.

For example, a chair's requirement might be designed and created to hold the maximum weight of 125 pounds. So it's created with light wood, it's glued with an marginal glue, and it's finished with a mid-grade varnish. When someone who weighs 125 pounds sites on the chair and it successfully supports him, and the chair does not collapse, we can all agree it has "quality". It is doing what it was designed to do.

However, if a 600 pound man sits on the same chair and it collapses, far too often it's implied that the chair was not made with any "quality" and it's a piece of junk. Is it "junk?" Absolutely not! It was designed to support 125 pounds, not 600 pounds, so when the 600 pound person sat, it broke. That's not the fault of the chair, the manufacturer, or any else. The reason the chair collapsed is because the person who sat on it, had a wrong misconception of what the chair should do!

So it's the same with any RV. Quality is a relative term. Thor Industries has made successful and good "quality" RV for many, many years, as has many other manufactures. But it only takes one negative review to bring doubt on the entire industry. And if the truth be told, more than likely, the problem was not in the way the camper was manufactured, more than likely the owner tried to use it in such a way it was not designed to be used.

So when someone starts talking about "bad quality", keep this thought in mind!

(Not only am I software tester that has to deal with this very concept every day, but I also have a relative that weighs over 500 pounds, and every time I see him sit, I wonder if the chair will hold him because most normal, every day, chairs are not built to support that much weight!) -- a real example here!

I strongly suggest that you restrict your quality assessments to software such as the Obama Care site. I totally reject your statement: " And if the truth be told, more than likely, the problem was not in the way the camper was manufactured, more than likely the owner tried to use it in such a way it was not designed to be used."
Those of us who have had their 5th wheels fall apart while driving down the Interstate, while underweight, less than 60 mile per hour strongly object to your premise unless you mean we tried to use it as a Recreation Vehicle rather than a stationary temporary housing box. When Thor Keystone Montana puts 6,000 lb axles on a 14,000 lb GVWR 5th wheel it is quite obvious that quality was not given much consideration in the design.

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Thor is primarily a holding company for a bunch of manufacturers that for the most part operate independently much like Forest River does. Some of the companies made good products, others not so good.

B.O.

agree .... Fleetwood and Keystone both fall under the Thor umbrella .... while they do offer some historically good lines, they seem to be evolving into a company that produces lines that are long on glitz and suspect on guts .... both Thor and Forest River are mega corporations with all positive and negatives common to businesses that grow so large .... the only privately held larger manufacture that offers an alternative is Jayco

Jim