Community Forums

Mauro · 03-02-2014, 02:10 PM

A naive question. I also have a 33.2 and I would have to travel from Utah to Indiana, just a little bit farther than you. My question is: Are these trips to the Indiana Factory a real necessity even if there are no complaints with the MH? Is it good anyway that they go over the unit, or is it something the dealer could do as well? I am asking because the distance is so big. Thanks.

Mauro
2014 Palazzo 33.2
2014 Jeep Cherokee

TheArnolds · 03-02-2014, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mauro

A naive question. I also have a 33.2 and I would have to travel from Utah to Indiana, just a little bit farther than you. My question is: Are these trips to the Indiana Factory a real necessity even if there are no complaints with the MH? Is it good anyway that they go over the unit, or is it something the dealer could do as well? I am asking because the distance is so big. Thanks. Mauro 2014 Palazzo 33.2 2014 Jeep Cherokee

If there is nothing wrong and you have no other reason to go to Elkhart I would say don't waste the fuel. On the other hand if you are traveling to or near the Thor factory it is a good idea to have Thor give your coach the once over. Can a local dealer do what Thor does as good as Thor...IMHO, No! The Thor techs have looked at many Palazzo's and they have the support of the factory at their finger tips. They will find and fix things that you have not noticed.

Gingerela · 03-02-2014, 03:04 PM

I completely agree that no one but Thor can examine your unit in the same manner. I have had so many bad experiences already with a variety of service dealers, and I know for a fact that they are ill equipped and inexperienced. Few are detail oriented. The majority don't have the equipment or space to pull out full wall slides and such. I know of a few, but I wouldn't go there if I had a choice.

My understanding is that Thor will go over your unit and give it the thorough inspection that your unit didn't get when it came off the assembly line. They will also update things they've improved upon since your unit was built. If you have no problems whatsoever, it may not be worth the trip, but for people like me who have a 36.1 with a full wall slide that has started to sag in the middle two months after purchasing it new, I have no other recourse.

I would not chance it with a local service dealer.

Redridge · 03-02-2014, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gingerela

I completely agree that no one but Thor can examine your unit in the same manner. I have had so many bad experiences already with a variety of service dealers, and I know for a fact that they are ill equipped and inexperienced. Few are detail oriented. The majority don't have the equipment or space to pull out full wall slides and such. I know of a few, but I wouldn't go there if I had a choice.

My understanding is that Thor will go over your unit and give it the thorough inspection that your unit didn't get when it came off the assembly line. They will also update things they've improved upon since your unit was built. If you have no problems whatsoever, it may not be worth the trip, but for people like me who have a 36.1 with a full wall slide that has started to sag in the middle two months after purchasing it new, I have no other recourse.

I would not chance it with a local service dealer.

I agree, dealers dont want to fix your MH, warranty service is their cash cow at the expense of the manufacturer... the RV industry is a mess.

Mauro · 03-02-2014, 09:39 PM

Thank you very much for your advice. I'll make an effort and make the trip. May be I could take four or five days and look for something interesting to see along Interstate 80.....

Mauro
2014 Palazzo 33.2
2014 Jeep Cherokee

Butte64 · 03-03-2014, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mauro

Thank you very much for your advice. I'll make an effort and make the trip. May be I could take four or five days and look for something interesting to see along Interstate 80.....

Mauro
2014 Palazzo 33.2
2014 Jeep Cherokee

Since you have an interest in aviation there is the museum at Offut AFB with some interesting planes and maybe while your coach is being worked on go for a side trip to Dayton for the great USAF museum.. The B-36 and B-70 are impressive.

http://www.sasmuseum.com/about-us/

bronk · 03-03-2014, 06:21 AM

Yes, Gingerala, undercoating your Palazzo is doable, and although the job may be messy and tedious, it can be easily accomplished with some of the rust preventive materials that are available. Of course the bare metal would have to be prepped-sanded to remove rust and scale before application of rust inhibiting material (paint). If I drive through salt on occasion, I use my power washer to spray underneath the motor home.

Bronk

TheArnolds · 03-03-2014, 06:49 AM

Seeing that we are on the subject of salt and the damage it could do if not cleaned off in a timely manner. What about all you folks that camp near the ocean? Your RV will be subjected to salt air that should be washed off. Getting to the underside of the RV is problematic and I would be interested if someone has a good way to wash down the chassis?

HDRoadking · 03-03-2014, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheArnolds

Seeing that we are on the subject of salt and the damage it could do if not cleaned off in a timely manner. What about all you folks that camp near the ocean? Your RV will be subjected to salt air that should be washed off. Getting to the underside of the RV is problematic and I would be interested if someone has a good way to wash down the chassis?

I have lived in Florida all my life and have not been overly concerned about it, but I guess our cars do have undercoating. When we launch a boat we hose down the trailer and the vehicle, but that is about it. When going to the beach we usually didn't even bother washing the vehicle right away.

bdickson · 03-03-2014, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheArnolds

If there is nothing wrong and you have no other reason to go to Elkhart I would say don't waste the fuel. On the other hand if you are traveling to or near the Thor factory it is a good idea to have Thor give your coach the once over. Can a local dealer do what Thor does as good as Thor...IMHO, No! The Thor techs have looked at many Palazzo's and they have the support of the factory at their finger tips. They will find and fix things that you have not noticed.

Just an off the wall thought: has anyone had Thor do the "once over" on a coach that is out of warranty and what might be an approximate cost?

Gingerela · 03-03-2014, 01:00 PM

Looks like our trip to Elkhart next week is going to be a bust. We are going to have to postpone it until May which is the next available. They have end of March openings, but I am not able to go then and I'm not even sure the weather would be much different. April is all booked up.

I spoke to Steve Reed this morning to discuss the appointment date and mentioned the salt issue we've been talking about here. He said someone had once shared how they cleaned off the salt from the undercarriage and it seemed to work well:

Take an oscillating lawn watering sprinkler and attach it to your garden hose. Run this under the coach (starting from the rear) until you reach the front end. Turn it on and let the water run for 20 minutes. Pull the hose back towards the rear a bit and let it run another 20 minutes. Repeat until you've reached the very back of the coach.

I have also been to a trusk wash and they will wash the undercarriage for you. I just wasn't sure if there was a way to treat it permanently so I wouldn't have to worry about it going forward, in the same way I don't have to worry about my car.

I was really looking forward to the Elkhart trip, but I guess Mother Nature is in control of that. She seems to be really pissed off this year!

TK IV · 03-03-2014, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheArnolds

Seeing that we are on the subject of salt and the damage it could do if not cleaned off in a timely manner. What about all you folks that camp near the ocean? Your RV will be subjected to salt air that should be washed off. Getting to the underside of the RV is problematic and I would be interested if someone has a good way to wash down the chassis?

My background is in boating...primarily in salt water.
There are paints available that are labeled Rust Reformer that will react with the rust and form a bond that protects from additional rust.
A friend of mine had real rust on his fifth wheel and repaired it all with this type of paint. Google it and you will get choices.

It does require that you get beneath the MH but not much wire brushing is needed

TheArnolds · 03-03-2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdickson

Just an off the wall thought: has anyone had Thor do the "once over" on a coach that is out of warranty and what might be an approximate cost?

Many of us have taken our coach to Thor and had work done post warranty. Not exactly a PDI but they look over the coach and fix things that you may not of noticed but they found on other coaches. They kind of have their own punch list. In most cases, post warranty, there isn't a charge for labor but if they use some parts they may charge for the part. In the 3 times I have been to Thor, 1 under warranty and 2 out of warranty they never charged me anything.

The Thor Diesel Club has it's annual fall rally in Goshen (near Elkhart) and each coach can submit up to 3 service items and Thor will fix them, again at no charge unless they use some parts.

If someone wanted service on an older, way out of warranty, coach I would call and try to make an appointment and see what they are willing to do? Appointments are getting harder to schedule without weeks of wait time and Thor may be reluctant to take in an older coach at the expense of scheduling a warranty visit for a current customer.

ChallengerRN · 03-03-2014, 02:21 PM

I use "chassis saver" on my farm equipment. We just wash a piece of equipment to get most of the dirt & grease off. It is a paint that is a bit thicker than regular paint. When it dries it will kinda look like the equipment has been covered like a bed liner in a pick up. Just spray it right over the rust & it attaches and covers up great. You can brush it on or use a paint sprayer. Once you open the can it is best to use up the can as it will generally harden in the can after it sits for awhile. If someone want more info I can get a paint number off a can I have in the barn. It is made to paint frame rails that have rust on them.

Russell