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Old 08-30-2014, 05:50 PM   #15
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I'm sure all MH brands have their quality control issues so broad brush maybe....but you'd think if you were to give your coach to an RV magazine for consumer testing you'd make damn sure everything is as it should be before you let them have it?
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Old 08-30-2014, 05:55 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by csrrsr View Post
I'm sure all MH brands have their quality control issues so broad brush maybe....but you'd think if you were to give your coach to an RV magazine for consumer testing you'd make damn sure everything is as it should be before you let them have it?
LOL - You would think so wouldn't you.
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Old 08-30-2014, 06:07 PM   #17
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Motorhome Magazine surprises me!!

Give me any rig for a month and I can make a bad report. Anyone could, if they wanted to.
I got a bad report 2 days ago from a new CS owner. Last week from a new DS owner. Last month from a.... Get the picture? But these are real gripes, not bias against the leading RV manufacturer.....IMHO
That is my subjective opinion. I am sure there can be many more.
Pick one.
A crap shoot.
Meaningless drivel in an ad rag.
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Old 01-11-2015, 01:04 PM   #18
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Not sticking up for Thor

But.... my understanding is that the Tuscany for the magazine article did not come from Thor and that Thor corporate did not know that they were doing the article. The coach was supplied from a unit on a dealers lot, no PDI was done, just handed over to the transport driver to deliver.

You think you were surprised, imagine what the stock holders and Thor's board thought. Not a pleasant day at corporate.

If anyone wants to do some light reading take a look at Thor's stockholders report. Some interesting reading on how Thor views the market and I think that everyone would be surprised just how small a percentage of their earnings is from the Motorhome division. And, they are the largest in that sector.

Thor has some quality issues for sure, the article was truthful in the things it identified, but the article was not very smart and may have done a dis-service to Thor and potential buyers as well. One thing that the article did was put Thor on notice regarding quality and it is one of the risks noted in their annual report. I have been told that the Motorhome line is now under going an increased level of QC and that Thor has added 2 additional QC inspectors to the line.

My complaint on the Tuscany is that I made an inquiry about some add on or special changes. Some very simple, like upgrade to 8 batteries or to AGM or a Queen Size bed instead of the King or factory delivery of a satin finish instead of Glossy on the wood work. Not big items, but was told by corporate that they do not specials or changes.

For me, the Tuscany is at the right price point for all of the things they offer in the base model. If it had a side radiator I might still consider it, but it doesn't and won't have one and with all the other small items that they will not change it has come off my short list.

Regards,

Jim

Shame, the price point of the Tuscany
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Old 01-11-2015, 01:16 PM   #19
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One thing that the article did was put Thor on notice regarding quality and it is one of the risks noted in their annual report. I have been told that the Motorhome line is now under going an increased level of QC and that Thor has added 2 additional QC inspectors to the line.
The biggest problem any manufacture faces is proper processes to produce a quality product on the assembly line. All QC people can due is clean-up the mess that was created on the line.

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Old 01-11-2015, 01:37 PM   #20
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Very interesting thread. After reading a number of reviews and watching dealer videos, my take was that in general they were pretty boiler plate and avoided saying negative things. It could be that this particular test drive was so bad, they felt they had to jump the shark.

In another forum, outside irv2, there was a general consensus that there is not any quality control in the industry, that new buyers are the quality control (fixits) and pretty much have to go through a pretty rough getting the new rv on the road process that at times is pretty egregious, and the buyers have seemingly let the mfgs have a pass as to that. So, in context, as CampDavid says, a lot of meaningless drivel...(I say par for the course.)

The problem likely stems from the fact, as I understand it, unlike building an automobile, these rigs are custom built to order. Over in Benicia, Ca we can see shiploads of cars that come in, in bunches that all look the same and go onto various dealers large inventory lots.

Compare a typical rv lot, a smaller number and greater variety of rigs. Its just not the same as going to a Ford, Toyota, or whatever new car lot. And, actually my joke about building an rv is to go to Costco, buy one of everything, give it to a bunch of 5 year olds and out comes an rv.

Yeah, I'm overdoing it, but this is a really expensive, customized product and just like buying a Lamborgini, the rv somewhat more fit to be used, but almost requiring your own in house mechanic to get it and keep it on the road...again a bit over wrought am I.
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Old 01-11-2015, 02:16 PM   #21
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I think all motorhome reviews should on motorhomes taken them right off a dealers lot. It would a better review of what we "Buyers" get when we buy. Having a motorhome specially detailed because its going to be reviewed by a magazine is in my opinion False advertising and certainly a false repesentation of quality. They should be able to walk up to any motorhome and say we're going to do a review on this motorhome. Why do "they" have todo a special Pdi. Its time that motorhomes have the same amount defects at purchase as do cars or homes. If you buy an entry level motorhome-- you should expect somethings not work??? No way or expect have to take it back to the dealer more often? Again no way.On an entry level motorhome everything should work and not leak, maybe it won't have all the bells an whistles, or extra horsepower or the extra A/C , corthian leather- Lol but what you do get should work period and not leak. Again its like buying a economy car and when the a/c doesnt work oh well its a entry level car.
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Old 01-11-2015, 04:12 PM   #22
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Maybe Thor didn't pay their advertising bill!
MSHappyCampers
That may be closer to the truth than MotorHome Magazine's review of Thor's Touring 45' Tuscany .
Have you noticed that when the products of big advertisers, Camping World and coach builders, (in which MH mag and/or the Good Sam Club have a "financial interest"), are reviewed in MotorHome magazine they always come out "smelling like a rose"....(funny how that works)!
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Old 01-11-2015, 05:17 PM   #23
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All manufacturers do seem to have QC problems, I think partially because they are pressured to push product out the door at any cost. They can always warranty things after the fact.


The thing that stands out to me is that certain brands seem to have many more units with multiple problems than do other brands. Thor is one make with a what I consider poor reputation. Seems to have many more reported problems.
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Old 01-11-2015, 05:36 PM   #24
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Too bad there has to be individuals called quality control looking after those that get paid to follow directions on the assembly line. Whatever happened to pride?
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Old 01-12-2015, 07:47 AM   #25
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Too bad there has to be individuals called quality control looking after those that get paid to follow directions on the assembly line. Whatever happened to pride?
Ernie
Where I come from the job of "quality control" was to insure that EVERY PART of EVERY PRODUCT that came off the assembly line was "QUALITY"!

However, the job of "quality control", (in most RV factories), is to make sure that every unit LOOKS GOOD ENOUGH to sell to an unsuspecting buyer.
Unfortunately, in the RV business, "glitz and glamor", (aka: "smoke and mirrors"), SELLS BETTER than "quality"....(and often turns "the dream" into a NIGHTMARE).

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Old 01-12-2015, 08:58 AM   #26
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I too read the review of the Tuscany in Motorhome Magazine. At the time I owned a Thor Palazzo, which if you read the Thor forum reports, has been a source of woe to many owners. We had no problems with our Palazzo. We saw a Tuscany with a floor plan we liked at a rally, and traded our Palazzo on the Tuscany, fully aware of the Motorhome review. We have had only a few problems with our Tuscany, only one of which was detected in the PDI.

Any given single coach can have problems, as any given coach can be virtually free of problems. When a magazine selects a coach off a dealer lot for review, it is not necessarily representative of an entire line of coaches. (My Dad used to warn me about buying a car made on Monday!!!) We've been very pleased with our Tuscany, and with the competitive pricing vs. similarly equipped coaches; probably a $50K savings (MSLP) vs. a similarly equipped Newmar, Tiffin, or Winnebago.

The upshot of it all is to select a coach that meets your needs, do a through PDI, deal with a dealer you trust, and make sure all faults are corrected before you drive it off the dealer lot. In N.C., you do not own the coach until it is driven off the lot, regardless of whether you paid up front, financed, or what have you... you can reject the deal if you are not satisfied, and I suspect laws are similar in other states.
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Old 01-12-2015, 05:06 PM   #27
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This forum is the best source for rv info, period. We just subscribed to MH mag. It's ok .... They need adds to help pay overhead.


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Old 01-12-2015, 05:45 PM   #28
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Any given single coach can have problems, as any given coach can be virtually free of problems. When a magazine selects a coach off a dealer lot for review, it is not necessarily representative of an entire line of coaches. (My Dad used to warn me about buying a car made on Monday!!!)

OK Then.........I would rather see a review done on a coach that was built on Monday!! I would think as consumers we would demand excellent quality from a coach builder no matter what day or time of the year they're building it.....unless your money is worth less on Monday!!
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