Community Forums

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyb1st

There's only one person that needs to be happy with your Thor motorhome.

Enjoy your motorhome. Sometimes we tend to forget what their purpose is. Simply put, to take us from point A to point B. How comfortable the journey is may or may not be an issue. Again, it's only you who need to be happy.

You are sooooooooooooooooooooooo right!

Thanks brother!

groswald · 12-02-2020, 06:22 PM

Since you asked,

Objectively:

The Hurricane is the most complained about motorhome in the industry.

Thor routinely ranks at or near the bottom of independent quality and customer service surveys.

Subjectively:

We owned a Thor Axis for 6 years. We liked the floorplan and had a lot of fun with the coach, but I grew to hate the continual repairs needed to correct design, material, and workmanship issues. I’m not talking about the routine things that one expects in a motorhome, but things directly related to poor quality. A search for threads I authored will find lots of detail if you’re interested. Chatted with a lot of folks over the years with similar experience.

Somebody has to be at the bottom of the quality heap. Thor has pretty much owned that spot for a long time, and don’t seem to be interested in changing it.

At the other end of the spectrum, Newmar, Winnebago, and Tiffin consistently sit at the top of quality related rankings. None are perfect by any means, but spend some time in a Thor and then in any one ot these three and I think you’ll see the difference.

A new Thor looks good. A Newmar, Winnebago, or Tiffin feels good. The deeper you look the more obvious the differences will become.

I’ll never own another Thor. I had no concerns about buying a 4 year old Tiffin, and we love it. It just feels good every time we come home after a day out.

All that said, lots of folks love their Thors. If you do, enjoy it, and don’t spend any time worrying about what the Thor haters think.

Regards,

Randy

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 06:31 PM

So far, I think I have had more issues out of my 2000 American Eagle (Still own) than I expect to see with my THOR.

Again, I am not worried about interior issues, they happen. Diesel pusher maintenance?

Air ride systems, air filters, Jesus, the maintenance. Turbo intercoolers, etc, the list goes on. Every time I turn around the Cummins is costing me two grand.

But, that sucker hauls like no tomorrow, not as much sleeping room though.

The THOR is more for sleeping capacity to me, I can get my grandkids in here and be good without worrying about being stuck on the road for 5 days because Cummins isn't making parts right now because Covid scared off their entire staff, and they can't service anything.

I am still waiting on a freaking coolant rod for the turbo intercooler. Because they have to make it.

Cummins, lol.

God Bless America, lol.

R.Wold · 12-02-2020, 06:41 PM

I had a 30’ 2000 Fourwinds (Thor) Class C. It was a simple, previous rental, high mileage coach, no slides or awning but it was a solid coach and the original cabinets, appliances, plumbing, electrical and furnishings were all good 20 years and 120k miles later, with minor repairs and normal maintenance.

I also had a 2012 20’ Thor toy hauler trailer and it was pretty much a cheaply built thing that constantly needed structural and functional repairs. I enjoyed the work, but I can see why folks complain.

As for current models, I can’t say but if they are anything like FR, the cheap materials and marginal effort at craftsman ship that allow high volume production would explain the comments. There’s been plenty of specific issues with Thor coaches mentioned here, but then that’s true of every production builder including Newmar.

As you pointed out, you get what you pay for (to a degree) in materials and amenities, but no builders are immune from issues. Some have more, some less, but they all have them.

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R.Wold

I had a 30’ 2000 Fourwinds (Thor) Class C. It was a simple, previous rental, high mileage, no slides or awning but i was a solid coach and the original cabinets, appliances, plumbing, electrical and furnishings were all good 20 years and 120k miles later, with minor repairs and normal maintenance.

I also had a 20’ Thor toy hauler trailer and it was pretty much a cheaply built thing that constantly needed structural and functional repairs. I enjoyed the work, but I can see why folks complain.

As for current models, I can’t say but if they are anything like FR, the cheap materials and marginal effort at craftsman ship would explain the comments. There’s been plenty of specific issues with Thor coaches, but that’s true of every production builder including Newmar.

As you pointed out, you get what you pay for in materials and amenities, but no builders are immune from issues. Some have more, some less, but they all have them.

Exactly. My American Eagle was and has been in the shop more than it has been on the road since I owned it. My point was the interiors of the THORs are cheap, so expect that, but I have not seen one complaint about a breakdown, stranded on the road. My whole point of this post.

Sure, your RV needs "things", they all do.

Anyone have breakdown issues with their THOR? Have not seen one reply with that, and that is what I was looking for.

lrgomez1976 · 12-02-2020, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKraken

If you paid 90K for a used model, I got my Hurricane for around 98K brand new with upgrades, but added the protection packages, you got SOLD, lol.

If they did not add additional warranties for interior / exterior UV protection, you're gonna get that no matter what RV you bought. Sad, but true. You are gonna get fading on your RV as well.

If you cover your RV, you get the fade protection, but mold issues. Cover your tires? In AZ maybe, but on the East Coast, you get mold as well, which can be just as damaging to your sidewalls as sun in AZ.

Only thing that I can think of that would cause even fake vinyl crappy crap to fade is sunlight.

We enjoy the Thor but it's just awkward to get up from the couch with junk all over you clothes. Our unit is a 36' Thor Four Winds Super C Diesel engine and fully equip with bells/whistles and four panel solar system. As for storage it's not under a cover sort of speak but under a covered storage like a patio cover so there is no direct sun on it while parked. But yes. It is only in the eye of the beholder.

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 06:56 PM

I am only interested in issues with breakdowns, lol.

How you take care of your interior is not what this post is about, we all agree the interior is WalMart at best.

aether_one · 12-02-2020, 06:58 PM

Quote:

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.

So you got a 2021 on the old chassis with the Triton engine? I thought they had all transitioned to the new chassis with the 7.3 L Godzilla engine in 2021 models.

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfryman

So you got a 2021 on the old chassis with the Triton engine? I thought they had all transitioned to the new chassis with the 7.3 L Godzilla engine in 2021 models.

Not on the Hurrricanes appears. Still with the Tritons.

This is what I have:

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2021-...an-34j-tr47446

With the MORryde upgrade, chassis uplift, protection packages, etc. I still did NOT pay the MSRP, got it for under 100. SafeTdrive, etc.

I was looking for people that had any breakdown issues, I could care less about the interior problems. That is just cosmetic junk that we all have to deal with.

groswald · 12-02-2020, 07:12 PM

I agree with you, the chassis is the chassis, and with a few exceptions the coach manufacturer can’t really screw that up. The E350, E450, and F53 platforms are darn near bulletproof. Although Thor did have MorRyde extend the E series chassis for the Axis, and there were some early issues.

What I got tired of were the constant coach (as opposed to chassis) issues. One guy compared a motorhome to a rolling earthquake. There will be a lot of repairs due to the constant stress on the coach, but it’s pretty easy to separate those from quality issues.

In our Axis, the quality issues far outweighed the “normal” repairs. A short list includes the following. Most were reported by many owners.

No insulation in the engine compartment. Terrible noise, heat while driving, and frigid blasts on cold mornings
Dash (huge flat upholstered plywood plate) not fastened down, and no obvious means provided to do it.
Coach shipped with “frozen” washer fluid pump. Blew fuse every time the switch was pushed. Turned out Thor bought a bad batch from China and shipped many coaches with the issue.
Front cap separated from roof/sides. In a multi-day rainstorm of course. Caused significant water damage. Another common problem. The adhesive used was marginal for the amount the cap flexed.
One sized screw used everywhere (too long) including in close proximity to heat ducts, water pipes, and electric cables and wires.
No screws at back of drawer slides (well, they were really hard to reach ). Front screws placed in face frame “paper covered wood product” i.e. end grain lauan. Flying drawers on first trip.
Cabinet door hinges and lifts screwed into same “wood product”. I kept a repair kit in the coach to fix the recurring failures.
Too long screws used to mount A/V input panel in storage bay - punctured grey tank.

The list goes on (and on), but you get the idea. These were common problems, and none had anything to do with the normal wear and tear a motorhome experiences.

Regards,

Randy

bucks2 · 12-02-2020, 07:12 PM

They're great rigs. Other than the refer on it's third board, the generator switch that went bad, the seats that are flaking, the backup camera that needed a new wire, the furnace that quit, the tires that you can't get to the fill valve, the electrical solenoid that starts the engine going out... twice, the windshield that pops out, and the cabinets that need regular work to keep the doors together, oh, and the terrible ride, my buddies 34' Thor is a great rig. But hey, he's got 55,000 miles on it already.

Contrast that to my neighbors 34 Thor that had a bucket list of problems when new, and for the past few years has been very dependable. But, he's only got 12,000 miles so far. We'll see long term how it goes.

Me, I'll hang on to my 07 Beaver. I had to replace an AquaHot fitting on it this year. A couple years ago I replaced 5 LED marker lights. Oh, and the NoCold refer that went bad at the 9 year mark. There must have been something else that I had to replace but I can't think of it now. And the ride...... marvelous. Will I ever buy a Thor? Not in this lifetime. I've worked on my buddy's enough to keep me away.

TheKraken · 12-02-2020, 07:21 PM

Again, no breakdowns?

This is my only concern, lol! I can list 3 notebooks worth of Excel Spreadsheets from my 2000 American Eagle with breakdowns that left us stranded on the side of the road for days dating from day 2 of owning that one.

If you don't have any breakdowns, please DON'T REPLY lol.

hattitude · 12-02-2020, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKraken

Again, no breakdowns?

This is my only concern, lol!

If you don't have any breakdowns, please DON'T REPLY lol.

If that's your only concern, the Thor should be as trouble free as any of the Ford V10 Chassis out there?? But then that would be a Ford issue, not a Thor issue...

I have no Thor systems breakdowns to talk about, but neither do I have any problems with the Thor's competitor's coach I ended up buying......

FWIW...

I wanted a Class A toy hauler... I was limited to the Ford V10 Chassis and either a Newmar 3920/3921 or Thor Outlaw... in my price range...

I didn't know much about either brand when I started my research and my RV search....

I looked at several examples of both brands....

It was obvious that for the same money, I could get a newer Thor Outlaw....

It was also obvious that for the extra money I would pay for the Newmar, to me, it was well worth it. I believed the Newmar to have a higher level of quality and the floor plan was better, than the Thors I saw...

So for me there's no hate involved.... It's was just personal preference and what I believed to be value for my money...

There seems to be a lot of Thors out there, so they can't be all that bad.... more product in the customer's hands will almost always breed more complaints..

I hope you enjoy your Thor as much as I'm enjoying my Newmar..

aether_one · 12-02-2020, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKraken

Not on the Hurrricanes appears. Still with the Tritons.

This is what I have:

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2021-...an-34j-tr47446

With the MORryde upgrade, chassis uplift, protection packages, etc. I still did NOT pay the MSRP, got it for under 100. SafeTdrive, etc.

I was looking for people that had any breakdown issues, I could care less about the interior problems. That is just cosmetic junk that we all have to deal with.

That's interesting. I went to the Thor site for 2021 Hurricanes and it does list them all with the new 7.3 L "Triton" V-8. Someone needs to tell Thor the 7.3 L V-8 is not a Triton engine: