Don't buy a Thor product

[scotthay71]

Do not buy a Thor product.
We bought a new 2018 Thor Quantum in the fall. When it came in on Nov. 1 there were 8 major problems like a crack all the way across the table, a broken window, 2 dents in the floor, chip paint on the outside, etc. It was taken care of at the dealer and we finally got it and left MA in December. Since then we have had 17 other major problems including 2 times when the refrigerator hasn't work, a tv the doesn't work, water coming into the bathroom and bedroom when I used the black water cleanout system, a stove that had a gas leak. I can go on and on. But Thor response is for us to just keep going back to get service and for us to pay to stay in hotels for a couple of day and pay for our own food, gas etc. In 6 weeks living in the vehicle we have not had 1 day when everything works, and on the several occasions when I call Thor they don't seem to really care beyond a general "sorry to hear that".

[mda]

New RV’s come partially assembled.

[docsouce]

After doing the research on the Freedom Elite made by Thor be purchased a new 22e in the Fall of 2015. The consensus of opinion at the time was it was an inexpensive unit that had standard industry components, and the fit and finish is average at best. However if you were good with a screwdriver and wrench it was good enough. On our first weekend out we found the rigid PVC pipe connecting the 2 potable water tanks (one tanks fills the second via overflow through this pipe)was leaking water due to the tanks expanding from the weight of the water. We caught it early and only had a small amount of damage. The dealer said they couldn't fix it because there were no directives from the factory, suggested to fill the tanks 1/2 way. Called Thor, faxed them a drawing for a fix, swap the rigid pipe for a flexible one. Thor sent the OK for this change to the dealer the next day and 2 cross country trips later, all is well. The water damage was repaired at the end of that first season, no problem. I had to reassemble drawer that fell apart, and next up I have to figure out why the awning motor is extremely slow to retract, like it's binding. I'll do that when the weather breaks. So far this RV has served us well. I do however keep an extra large box of tools and hardware on board. Just in case!!!

[Ralph_Cramden]

Farmboy666 wrote:

vjstangelo wrote:
I know this is the C forum, but I own an A and they are basically the same beast: truck/bus chassis with cab or house built on top. Most of the systems that failed on our Winnebago the first 2 years were supplied by others (AC units, weather stripping, parts on chassis). How is it Winnebago, or Thor, or whomever’s fault if the AC, transmission, fridge fails? So, to tell me that I should not buy Winnebago or Thor or Tiffin because parts built by others fail is bad advice.

I would say it's the same as hiring a builder to build a house, your only as good as your sub contractors such as Electrician, Plumber, HVAC. At the end of the day it's the builders reputation thats on the line. If Thor uses inferior components to put their coach together then they take he blame.

Along with the fact there are only so many Dometics and Lipperts in the RV world. Thor is not using components that are any different than used by Forest River, Winnebago etc. It's more about how it's put together and how it's supported afterwards by the builder. All of them have shortcomings in both areas, especially now days.

You could always opt for a Newmar or something on a Prevost chassis if your pockets are deep enough.

[Farmboy666]

vjstangelo wrote:
I know this is the C forum, but I own an A and they are basically the same beast: truck/bus chassis with cab or house built on top. Most of the systems that failed on our Winnebago the first 2 years were supplied by others (AC units, weather stripping, parts on chassis). How is it Winnebago, or Thor, or whomever’s fault if the AC, transmission, fridge fails? So, to tell me that I should not buy Winnebago or Thor or Tiffin because parts built by others fail is bad advice.

I would say it's the same as hiring a builder to build a house, your only as good as your sub contractors such as Electrician, Plumber, HVAC. At the end of the day it's the builders reputation thats on the line. If Thor uses inferior components to put their coach together then they take he blame.

[vjstangelo]

I know this is the C forum, but I own an A and they are basically the same beast: truck/bus chassis with cab or house built on top. Most of the systems that failed on our Winnebago the first 2 years were supplied by others (AC units, weather stripping, parts on chassis). How is it Winnebago, or Thor, or whomever’s fault if the AC, transmission, fridge fails? So, to tell me that I should not buy Winnebago or Thor or Tiffin because parts built by others fail is bad advice.

[RandACampin]

scotthay71 wrote:
Do not buy a Thor product.
We bought a new 2018 Thor Quantum in the fall. When it came in on Nov. 1 there were 8 major problems like a crack all the way across the table, a broken window, 2 dents in the floor, chip paint on the outside, etc. It was taken care of at the dealer and we finally got it and left MA in December. Since then we have had 17 other major problems including 2 times when the refrigerator hasn't work, a tv the doesn't work, water coming into the bathroom and bedroom when I used the black water cleanout system, a stove that had a gas leak. I can go on and on. But Thor response is for us to just keep going back to get service and for us to pay to stay in hotels for a couple of day and pay for our own food, gas etc. In 6 weeks living in the vehicle we have not had 1 day when everything works, and on the several occasions when I call Thor they don't seem to really care beyond a general "sorry to hear that".

I would recommend a Thor product any day. My Keystone (Thor) has been really trouble free from day one. So has probably hundreds of thousands of other.

[Ralph_Cramden]

bob.proctor wrote:
To the people that read this all RVs don't have problems. We have had several RVs over the years our firs RV was a older Class C with a 350 Chev engine that we winterized for winter skiing ( no problems) a Damon 36 foot Class A with gas (no problem) a 1999 38 foot Holiday Rambler with Cummings/Allison we put at least 30,000 miles on it - sold it to our friends and they are still bringing it to Puerto Vallarta with no problems. We then bought a 2004 40 foot Zanzibar Safari Cummings/Allison which we drove to Alaska, across Canada down the east coast to Yuma, AZ and onto Mexico 3 times to PV (wish we still had it) downsized to a 2004 TIOGA/Ford V10 30 foot so we could go to our fishing holes no problems. We have NEVER had a problem with any of our units.
It is unfortunate that people do have problems but not everyone does and so don't be afraid to GO RVING. We have for 20 years and still love it.

Any experience with one made @ 2014 onward during this sales boom?

pnichols wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
Newmar. - superb materials, superior craftsmanship. separates the quality coaches from the crappy ones.

Our RV friends just up graded from an older Monaco (which they never had a problem with) to a new Essex. 2 days of loading and settling in, they left on a 2 month trip.

Nary a problem the whole time.

I don't believe that Newmar makes Class C motorhomes. So what Class C motorhome matches a Newmar Class A motorhome?

My vote goes maybe with Coach House Class C motorhomes ( .... or are they really Class B+ motorhomes?).

Only a slight difference between spending $100K more, or $200K more, or $500K more? Realistically a Newmar and the like are not options for most, and its for a lot of reasons other than just the financial aspect of it, which is probably the largest. How about when you spend $125K on something it at least does not start falling apart on the way home from the purchase which has more to do with how it was built as opposed to what it was built from.

[ThePowells]

He must have gotten all of my problems since I have had so few. He will probably be a drive-by poster.

[bob_proctor]

To the people that read this all RVs don't have problems. We have had several RVs over the years our firs RV was a older Class C with a 350 Chev engine that we winterized for winter skiing ( no problems) a Damon 36 foot Class A with gas (no problem) a 1999 38 foot Holiday Rambler with Cummings/Allison we put at least 30,000 miles on it - sold it to our friends and they are still bringing it to Puerto Vallarta with no problems. We then bought a 2004 40 foot Zanzibar Safari Cummings/Allison which we drove to Alaska, across Canada down the east coast to Yuma, AZ and onto Mexico 3 times to PV (wish we still had it) downsized to a 2004 TIOGA/Ford V10 30 foot so we could go to our fishing holes no problems. We have NEVER had a problem with any of our units.
It is unfortunate that people do have problems but not everyone does and so don't be afraid to GO RVING. We have for 20 years and still love it.

[pnichols]

Tom/Barb wrote:
Newmar. - superb materials, superior craftsmanship. separates the quality coaches from the crappy ones.

Our RV friends just up graded from an older Monaco (which they never had a problem with) to a new Essex. 2 days of loading and settling in, they left on a 2 month trip.

Nary a problem the whole time.

I don't believe that Newmar makes Class C motorhomes. So what Class C motorhome matches a Newmar Class A motorhome?

My vote goes maybe with Coach House Class C motorhomes ( .... or are they really Class B+ motorhomes?).

[Tom_Barb]

Newmar. - superb materials, superior craftsmanship. separates the quality coaches from the crappy ones.

Our RV friends just up graded from an older Monaco (which they never had a problem with) to a new Essex. 2 days of loading and settling in, they left on a 2 month trip.

Nary a problem the whole time.

[Bordercollie]

After sale RV warranty repairs can take a number of months delaying that first camping trip or tour. Rushed assembly by poorly trained assemblers, little or no quality controls, and reliance on swamped dealer service departments to fix factory defects, malfunctioning appliances and electrical systems can spoil the fun of a new RV purchase. We tolerate this so it continues.

[Community Alumni]

Misery loves company. I could say the same about Winnebago. Very good engineering and material quality, but the craftsmanship of the manufacturing is a big fail. I'm good with tools, so I have pretty much caught up with stuff I can do on my own. A couple of warranty issues still remain. Lower your expectations and you will not be disappointed.

Looking back to when we camped in a tent; good times. The pop-up truck camper introduced us to the world of water leaks. Next, the RoadTrek. Bad brakes, bad fuel pump (Chevrolet) but the killer was the fiberglass body. Resin bubbled up under the paint and the entire coach was covered in bumps. Sanded down twice and repainted until it looked like a backyard science project. Next, the 2009 Navion. Overall pretty good, but then at 22,000 miles and 3,000 miles from home the transmission blew up. I blame Dodge and Daimler Chrysler for how they handled the repair. Two overhauls and being stranded for two months was finally resolved when a new transmission and torque converter was installed. Sold it at 60,000 miles and now I wish I had not. The new Navion is just one big pile of regret. My plan now is to power through getting things ship-shape and see how it goes for the next year. If things go bad, then it's gone. All my friends who own an RV have similar tales of woe. Does not seem to matter if it is a motor home or trailer. Just know you are not alone.

[Tom_Barb]

azdryheat wrote:
First post rant. Let's see if he ever posts again. Color me skeptical.

RV.ing all around bad experience, I wonder if they will give the whole thing up.

And you wonder why I preach, buy a quality coach, even if you must drop back a few years.

I think I'd paint a lemon on the side , and park it right close to the dealer.

[Farmboy666]

I what way is water coming into bedroom and bathroom? Don't you buy your own anyway?