Why the hate on Thors?

[jpstakun]

Originally Posted by Dennis123

I owned two Thors, my first one and my last one. Never again. Bought my Tiffin and love it.

I just got a notice from Tiffin Side Roads. Tiffin has been acquired by Thor. So long quality.

[groswald]

Originally Posted by jpstakun

I just got a notice from Tiffin Side Roads. Tiffin has been acquired by Thor. So long quality.

Don't confuse Thor Motorcoach - which is being discussed here with Thor Industries. They are separate entities.

Thor Industries bought Tiffin. There will undoubtedly be changes, but Thor Industries has historically done pretty well by their acquisitions. Entegra owners seem to think quality went UP after TI bought them, and I haven't heard too much wailing and gnashing of teeth from Airstream owners. Thor Industries seems interested in owning and maintaining a line of quality luxury RV's. I'm hopeful Tiffin will be one of them.

I'm certainly not thrilled by the purchase, but it's waaaay to early to write off Tiffin.

Regards,

Randy

[GRUBBS]

We have owned two THOR MotorHomes, had GREAT SERVICE out of both! The last one was a 2019 35M Hurricane Gaser, never had the first disappointing thing happen, Sold it in October for a little over $100,000, drove it about 12,000 miles and the couple that bought it are very happy! I do believe that like a lot of high priced toys out there, "customers" are always very, very "opinionated", theirs is the best and that's there story and they stick to it! Cabin Cruiser's are the same way! If ya want to argue around the campfire, just start by "up-staging" someone and you'll really kick up a frenzy...I was known as an agitator before I retired and I do LOVE to stir it up! THOR is a Good Company!

[Plastx]

We acquired our Thor 2006 Damon Astoria DP in 2011- just under the 5 year engine warranty. We didn't have time to do extensive research - the wife had found bedbugs in a (quality chain) hotel room on a dive trip. Coach had 14K miles in 5 years. IIRC paid around $75k. In the ensuing 10 years, we have put over 120k miles on it, and I believe I have about $95-100K into rig, not counting repairs/maintenance.

Right out of the gate, had a turbo go out on the Cummins ISB. Note I said Cummins, not Thor. Replaced just under the time for warranty.

Took coach to Thor the following year for many changes we wanted - removed carpet for vinyl, new roof, other amenities - $9K IIRC. Our experience with the Thor Service Center could not have been better.

Stranded at the side of the road - yes, as recently as three months ago. The wife on a trip to North Carolina - engine shut down due to overheating. The Serpentine belt had failed - because of a frozen A/C compressor. The tow and replacement in Knoxville cost $3k. Thor? No, it's a 15 year old coach, and things will fail. I expect to budget $3k/year in repairs, this year, however, I am out $9-10k - almost all related to the engine (new wiring harness, new exhaust system, etc.) But, the coach is LONG ago paid off.

Do I look longingly at the Tiffens and Newmars? Yes, but I'll bet the Tiffen and Newmar owners look longingly at the Newell parked a few spaces away. I don't know that it is any different. That's the beauty of capitalism...

Will I ever upgrade to a Tiffen/Newmar/Entegra? Sure, but other financial priorities in life dictate not now. Has Thor provided a coach that allowed me access to these experiences/travels with my kids at a price level I can afford -yes. Is it a Tiffen or a Newmar - no, but then I never expected it to be. I will take care of the quality issues as they come up and prioritize accordingly until I do move up.

[groswald]

Originally Posted by Plastx

Do I look longingly at the Tiffens and Newmars? Yes, but I'll bet the Tiffen and Newmar owners look longingly at the Newell parked a few spaces away. I don't know that it is any different. That's the beauty of capitalism...

Just one data point, but...

No, we don’t look longingly at Newells or any of the high-end custom coaches. After 2+ years or research, visiting dealerships across the country, and inspecting over 100 motorhomes, our new to us Tiffin is exactly what want. We love it.



We moved to Tiffin from a 2014 Thor Axis. Unfortunately, our experience was the exact opposite of yours. We had a good time in the Axis, but parting with it was pure joy. Glad you’ve had better luck than we did. At the end of the day if it makes you happy it’s good!

Regards,

Randy

[zippinbye]

Our 2004 Thor Jazz bunkhouse 5th wheel is obviously a "value" brand that, like the OP noted with his 2021 unit, has lame quality interior appointments and some structural deficiencies. The peripheral components that are common to most RVs are just fine. In fact, the Norcold fridge, Coleman A/C, Dometic furnace and water heater and other electric/mechanical components are amazingly reliable. It tows well and is comfortable. While not a quality comparison, I'd say Steve Jobs' famous quote about the iPhone applies to our Thor; "It just works." It's not going to impress anybody or create envy in the campground, but it is totally functional. We got what we paid for. Clearly nothing more, but we are happy.

[TheKraken]

Just wrapping it up, as the OP and proud THOR owner, lol.

Just put a little over 10,000 miles on the 2021 Hurricane and it has not even been a year, we bought this in September 2020 and as of 3:00 AM, we arrived home from our 2nd annual coast-to-coast trip in THIS RV.

Issues? A few. Nothing major.

Slide-out motor1 died. It happens. Replaced. That's a Lippert/Schwintek problem, they manufactured the motors. Under warranty though, so FREE.

Fouled 2 spark plug wires (yes WIRES) coming up Cajon Pass in between Riverside and Victorville CA (you know that hill). Drove it to Vegas from Barstow, and then to Tucson running on 8 cylinders with NO ISSUES. Mechanic replaced both wires, cost was around 200 bucks, and those are not covered by any warranty, FYI, Ford or THOR.

And, that is pretty much it! To the guy who said "Just wait until you drive it a bit, I'd like to see your review nest year", well?

HERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I drove it a bit, lol. We usually do about 20,000 miles per year in whatever RV we drive, and the Thor? Even in first year ownership?

And I drive the **** out of these. I mean like I stole it, like GI Joe Fighting COBRA, lol, no peace for the machine, I really beat the crap out of these things.

THOR HAS NOT LET ME DOWN!

Have fun guys, and be safe.

Regards,

James

"The Kracken"

[Massparanoia]

Thor makes a lot of RV’s. They make a lot of entry level RV’s and market them to people who’ve never owned an RV.

People who’ve never owned an RV think it’s like your car, you just turn the key and go and you don’t have to worry about anything. That’s obviously not the case whether you own a 100k Thor or a 1 million Prevost.

So I’m guessing this is why they catch so much flak

[TheKraken]

Agreed, it like like owning a car and home and boat in one ( and comes with exactly all of that maintenance).

The first year of owning anything, house, car, dog, lol, is where you find the issues. That is another thing new buyers forget.

As long as everything is maintained and all warranty work is completed, you should have a good ride for many years.

Be safe and have fun guys! See you on the road!

Regards,

James (The Kraken)

[Coldjensens]

Don't confuse people saying that Thor sells cheap junk with hate for Thor products. They are like Walmart. they mass buy and push vendors for ever lower prices for things Yup it is cheap junk, but recognizing that does not mean i hate Walmart or Thor, I just recognize it for what it is. Living FT in a Thor would be pretty crazy, but for the typical Rv owner who uses their RV maybe 2 -5 times a year for five to seven years and then stops using it, it makes sense to go cheap.

We recently rented a 2012 32' Thor Challenger. It was pretty worn out and lots of things broke during the 4 days we had it (generator stopped working, water heater would not work, steps would not come out after the second day, moldings were coming off on the outside in several places, it whistled at any speed over 55, the sound system would not work, but you could not hear it while driving anyway due to all the creaks, groans crashes and whistling. The Main AC unit started dripping water inside, several cabinets could not be used, screen door hinge was broken, water pump did not work properly, body panel gap at passenger side widened at higher speeds (may have been the cause of the whistle), it drove and rode terribly. . . . .)

But it got us there, provided shelter, the toilet worked, it got us around various small towns, worked fairly well for most of the trip when connected to shore power and water and got us home. Sure, lots of things broke or did not work, but that did not ruin the trip, It is a nine year old Thor. We expected some of that to occur. Showering in the campground shower is not the end of the world, nor is jumping out instead of walking down the steps. We still had a nice trip, and it was a comparatively cheap rental ($200/day).

While some of the brands Thor bought continued to utilize improved technology and ideas, the unseen core systems are generally cheapened up. Thor uses its "massive bulk buying power" to leverage super cheap parts for all of its lines. things like pumps, motors, mechanisms, electronic internals, fasteners, etc are bought en masse and then used in all of products regardless of brand. Chrysler did this for many years (a few decades) and developed a terrible reputation for poor quality that persists even today after they have moved away form those practices and improved quality somewhat. Thor is much like Chrysler. All kinds of neat features, awesome ideas, nice looking things (when new) but you just have to expect a never ending chain of small things failing and breaking.

Not withstanding I know more things will break, I still buy Chrysler. their stuff is just so neat and pretty that I will live with the quality problems (besides Chrysler has massively improved their QC since 2009. It is not quite as good as the other makes yet, but they still have more awesome features at a lower price).

We looked at new Entegras for a bit. they have some awesome ideas. I intend to adapt some of those ideas in our Rv (Probably a Prevost or a Monaco Signature). However you could also see evidence of Thor in places. We test drove a new cornerstone, when we arrived the stair cover would not retract. either the cheap motor or the plastic gears had failed. If you crawl into the guts, you see other evidence of Thor influence. It is certainly better quality than the thor branded Rvs we saw, but it was not up to snuff for a $750,000 RV (really a $450,000 RV, but their asking price was $750,000 despite some places online offered them for $450,000). While I would not buy a new Entegra to live in, they certainly are nice when new. Of course all Thor products (and pretty much all other products) are nice when new.

Honestly after studying RVs for a few years, I am not interested in any of the new models from any brand. Thor led the charge to cheapness as it bought up failing companies left and right, but all the others followed at least to some extent. Once Forest River started to follow Thor's lead (Just to a lesser extent if Thor = Walmart, or Harbor Freight, then Forest river = JC Penny or Menards/Home Depot), everyone had to come along or lose their competitive edge. Winnebago seems to have resisted the trend more than others (Grand Design and Newmar still have pretty good quality), but I still would not be much interested in anything post 2008 and I would not consider any brad from year following a Thor buyout. Not because i hate Thor, but because i am not willing to take the quality risk that comes with Thor's much touted massive buying leverage.

[belfast1949]

Originally Posted by TheKraken

I see a lot of bad reviews on Thor MCs, especially the Hurricane 34s.

Why?

I have a 2000 American Eagle 40 EVS widebody diesel pusher, and just bought the 2021 THor Hurricane 34 J. Put 5000 miles on it from California to AZ, and then home to RVA. NO ISSUES.

So, the interior is basically IKEA/WalMart quality cabinetry and fixtures, but it's a $100K RV, not a $350K RV, lol. You will not get the Corian countertops and custom fixtures like in my Eagle, lol. That is exactly a 350K RV.

We bought this one because it sleeps more than my custom rig, it was cheap, and looks good. I am not hauling my toy hauler with this either, maybe just a small TOAD, and with the Triton and GWVR being what it is, should be non-invasive. Cheap fixtures? So what?

The chassis is solid, and the Ford Tritons are well-tested. To be fair, most of the hate reviews do concern the interior, but if you own an RV, you need to be handy, right?

Also, this Thor was the easiest winterization I have ever had. Took about 30 minutes because you don't have 20 valves to mess with.

Is it just because people think that "I spent 100K on an RV" these days? 100K is not today what 100K was 30 years ago.............. and you do get what you pay for.

No my complaint goes deeper than the Ikea cabinetry. Although we had those issues too and had to use wood filler in all the cabinet screw holes to resecure the cabinet doors that fell off as the crappy little wood screws vibrated out. My issue was the overcooked welds in the frame that allow water ingress through the voids in the weld that rotted out the floor after just 3 years. It was stealth as there was never any water ingress. It rotted from below. My RV guy said it looked as though the guy that welded the frame was a rank rookie as the welds were all overcooked and the execution was abysmal.

[TheKraken]

Agree with most points on the two replies above. Anything after around 2005 to 2008, quality started to drop severely in anything less than the 1/2 mil coaches.

I got to check out a guy's London Aire that was parked next to us. The interior quality was marks above MY Thor, but the front end, etc were still fiberglass like mine, and didn't seem to really justify the huge amount in price difference to me. We looked at a lot of Newmars before we decided on the Hurricane, and some Winnes and a few others.

I'm the guy that will never own any RV more than 3-5 years again, but also we're putting between 15 and 20K miles on per year. After my last kid graduates, we will also likely be done with class As and opt for a 5th wheel.

And then it will all begin again...........

But so far, knock on particle board (lol), nothing out of the regular with the Thor.

Be safe, and have fun guys!

Regards,

James

"The Kraken"

[Dr. Mike]

Good afternoon all

I have a question: How much would it cost (and would it be worth it) to spend the $100K for the coach, gut it and then build what you want, how you want it, using whatever quality you deem?
I mean if the bones (chassis/engine/body) are good, why not?

[groswald]

Figure cost will be roughly equivalent or (likely) higher to doing the same in a S&B of similar square footage. This assumes that neither the chassis nor the shell require work.

Although easier said than done, folks do it and end up with some very nice coaches. I've got the skills, tools, and time, and considered doing it whith our previous coach, but decided I'd rather spend time on the road in a better coach (hence the Tiffin) than spending a year or two gutting and remodeling the Axis we used to have. Although, I still think the Axis 24.1 could be turned into a darn sweet small coach with a thoughtful rebuild.

Anyway, a couple of thoughts on the issues include:

• Depending on the chassis, you'll have to pay close attention to the weight. Not an issue home builders and cabinet makers worry too much about, but many of the materials used in a S&B are simply too heavy to use in a coach.
  
  You'll have more headroom with a diesel pusher chassis.
  
  
  
• Methods that work in a house may not work so well in a coach. You have to plan on repeated shocks, jolts, and constant movement. Think building a house to survive a continual earthquake.
  
  Building (cabinets, walls, etc.) stiff and solid, with good hardwood and glue isn't usually a good idea. That's why coach builders use screws and staples instead of traditional joinery and glue. The fasteners allow structure to move and screws can be re-tightened as needed and staples pounded back in (assuming the underlying substrate doesn't disintegrate when you do - that was a constant problem in the Thor )
  
  They also use lighter woods when they use real wood at all e.g. Alder that can be made to look like Cherry at about 2/3rds the weight.

But, if you have the time, money, skills and a good chassis/shell - go for it. Be sure to provide progress reports along the way!

Regards,

Randy