Community Forums

ThePowells · 02-15-2019, 09:04 PM

I am an actual Thor owner who is ecstatic about ours. Thor and all of the related manufacturers have been nothing short of wonderful and have gone above and beyond.
I also read posts about issues with Fleetwood and Tiffin and their problems, but I won't parrot them simply because I can. When researching for our next / last coach I read in every forum and came to my own conclusions about each.

hohenwald48 · 02-16-2019, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UTTransplant

I second the comment about your disappointment in a small gas coach compared to a Tiffin diesel. No gas manufacturer, even another Tiffin, will be the same.

Many folks (myself included) have transitioned from a diesel up to a gas coach with good results. Personally, I'd never own another diesel. The benefits just don't justify the additional maintenance and purchase costs. Your results may vary.

When we were shopping I eliminated the Fleetwood line because all the ones we looked at seemed to have pretty low cargo carrying capacity. Tiffins also had that issue but I think they are moving to the 26K chassis. We didn't look real hard at the Thor line as we eliminated them for cosmetic reasons.

Deep Water D · 02-16-2019, 06:40 AM

In my opinion, historical comparisons regarding manufacturer quality are meaningless, as all the business models have changed dramatically in recent years. All major companies are interested only in pushing as many units as possible out the door to meet demand. They are using farmers and convicts on work release to meet quotas. The more the workers push out the door, the more they get paid. Attention to detail and quality have suffered accordingly. The customer is the quality control inspector.

FLJOE · 02-16-2019, 07:03 AM

Our most recent transition was from a Thor Challenger (2014 37') gas to our current DP. After close to $2,000 in suspension modifications I could drive 300 to 350 miles in a day when the winds were 10 to 15mph. If they were 20mph or over then we would stay in place or try to do 200 miles of "white knuckle" driving. Of course when the V-10 even spots a hill in the distance it starts downshifting and screaming so loud you can't hear anything. The quality was about average for a lower end RV manufacturer IMHO.

I only had a few minor issues with our current coach during the 1 year warranty. When I was 2 months out of warranty a Oasis pump went out which was a $1,000 repair bill. Newmar covered it 100% because they said the pump should not have failed. There are many other stories like that from Newmar and Tiffin owners.

I would look for the right size used DP. You get what you pay for and that will never change.

petewolff · 02-16-2019, 07:22 AM

We had a Thor Vegas as our first rv , we enjoyed it but there were issues with it some electrical and many coach interior.
Overall it wasn't a bad coach but build quality was certainly lacking.

We now own a Fleetwood Pace Arrow and while the build quality is much better than the Thor it too has problems , two slides with electrical issues and inoperative dash ac.
When I spoke with the folks at Fleetwood they invited us to bring the rig back to the factory for repair and we are going to do exactly that.

I found Thor to be uncooperative with tech support and warranty issues , this was my personal experience I have heard stories where people have had good luck with them.

We bought our Fleetwood from a very large dealer in Texas that also sells Thor products.
While waiting for our new Fleetwood to be readied for delivery my wife and I spend a couple of hours walking into several Thor , Fleetwood and other manufacturers units. I have to tell you the Thor stood out as being the lowest quality of the bunch .
Broken interior parts , peeling wall board material and other very apparent flaws in brand new rigs.

None of these rvs are perfect and I think all will have problems when new but I can tell you having owned a Thor I will never own another.

gandl2 · 02-16-2019, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek

Thor is single handedly ruining the dreams of millions of RV buyers over several of the brands they own (but sell with the original brand name). I'd stay away from anything made by Thor.

Tiffin has always been a middle of the road brand quality wise. Claim to fame was the owner would fix things out of warranty. The sons who run it now aren't as interested in doing that. And from what I've read, their service dept in Red Bay is always full because of all the issues the Tiffins have.

The new Fleetwoods (2017-2019) I'm unsure of because I haven't read too much negative comments about them. Not sure if that's just by luck that I missed negatives or if they're trying to put out a better product during these rushed times.

Whatever you choose, be sure to do your homework on quality of the model you're interested in.

These rumors about Tiffin never end. Bob is still very much involved in running the company. True the service center is full during certain times of the year but far from every day. I understand that Tiffin is now offering an option for the Ford chassis of the Liquid Spring suspension for improved ride.

vsheetz · 02-17-2019, 01:36 AM

The Ford F53 has undergone a few changes over the years. As has the drivetrain. But nothing revolutionary or huge improvements.

Many still put aftermarket handling improvement items on the chassis. And it still does not include a rear track bar from the factory.

The biggest driveline improvement has been in the transmission area. More gears and tow haul mode.

I've seen only comments about there being a new chassis coming. Ford has no competition to drive improvement. Lord only knows its needed and past due, IMHO.