THOR MOTOR COACH Complaints

SUMMARY: WHERE DO I START, EXCEPT EVERYONE IS SAFE. DRIVING TO DISNEY WITH THE FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS (DAUGHTER JOINING US FROM COLLEGE) AND WE SUDDENLY HEAR A LOUD BANG FROM THE CAB; THE STARLIGHT WINDOW BLEW OUT/ OFF. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES ON THE ROAD (DOING ABOUT 50 MPH) AND NOTHING HIT US, LOOKS LIKE THE GLUE/SEAL JUST GAVE WAY! THE OTHER THING I WAS SURPRISED THERE WERE SHARP GLASS SHARDS IN THE CAMPER AND THE GLASS DID NOT SHATTER INTO SMALL SQUARES ONE TYPICALLY SEES WITH SAFETY GLASS. HONESTLY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF THE GLASS PANEL WOULD HAVE BLOWN INWARD IT WOULD HAVE HIT ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS; AS IT IS, THEY WERE HIT WITH SMALL SHARDS OF GLASS.*DT*DT*JB

I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT THIS RV. IT WILL GO PAST THE WINDSHIELD, AND NOT COME BACK UP. I HAVE TRIED TO REPAIR IT, BUT IT WORKS ITSELF LOOSE. THIS IS ALMOST ANY TIME I USE THE WIPERS. I HAVE TO READJUST THEM.

TWO OF THE FOUR WELDS ON THE MOUNTING BRACKETS HAVE BROKEN AND ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATED .THE TANK CAN ACTUALLY SWAY A FEW DEGREES. VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO MOVE AS TANK IS COMPLETELY FULL. WIRES HAVE BEEN ROUTED BETWEEN AND THROUGH THE BRACKETS MULTIPLYING THE DANGER AND PROBLEM. THIS SITUATION OF ROUTING AND SUSPENDING WIRES IS COVERED IN ANOTHER ISSUE NHTSA #11289727. THIS TYPE OF SAFETY PROBLEM SEEMS ENDEMIC OF THIS MOTORHOME AND IT'S CONSTRUCTION. THIS STRETCHES CREDIBILITY TO THINK THIS IS A SINGLE UNIT ISSUE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE TANK IS MANUFACTURED BY MANCHESTER TANKS AND CARRIES SERIAL #1898870 *DT*JB *DT *TP *DT MANUFACTURE HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND TANK HAS BEEN REPLACED.*JB

SUBJECT VEHICLE HAD BUNDLED WIRES SIZE APPROX. #2 DOWN TO #10, WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 WIRES IN THE BUNDLE. WIRES MOSTLY ORIGINATED FROM BATTERY COMPARTMENT WHICH CONTAINS HOUSE BATTERIES AND WIRES FROM ENGINE BATTERY. WIRE BUNDLE WAS IN NO WAY BRACKETED OR HUNG FROM CLAMPS BUT WAS DRAPED OVER/ON THE DRIVE SHAFT NEAR A U JOINT. CONSTANT RUBBING EVENTUALLY WORE THROUGH THE WIRE INSULATION OF THE HEAVIEST WIRES (DC DIRECT FROM BATTERIES) AND SHORTED OUT AND CAUSED THE REMAINING WIRES TO SHORT AND BARE THEMSELVES POSSIBLY THROUGH FIRE. AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS BELIEVED TO BE IN MOTION AND THE WIND MOST LIKELY PREVENTED A CONTINUAL FIRE AS THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE. CURRENT FROM THE HOUSE BATTERIES WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPLEMENTED BY CURRENT FROM THE ENGINE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WHICH ARE ALL CONNECTED TOGETHER THOROUGH AN ISOLATION RELAY WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. NO MAJOR FIRE OCCURRED BUT SEVERAL COMPONENTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH ALL BATTERIES. DURING REPAIR A HYDRAULIC LINE WAS FOUND DRAPED ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND WAS ALMOST BURNED THROUGH. ATTACHED PHOTOS SHOW THE RESULT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 THOR SIESTA EQUIPPED WITH A CUMMINS 3.6 KW GENERATOR. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE GENERATOR, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE GENERATOR WAS TAKEN TO CUMMINS SALES AND SERVICE (12 INTEGRA DR, CONCORD, NH 03301, (207) 510-2233) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRES IN THE TRANSFER SWITCH WERE MELTED AND THAT IT WAS A THERMAL EVENT. THE GENERATOR WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IT WAS DUE TO A POWER SURGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 THOR CHALLENGER 37K. WHILE INSIDE THE RV, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR; HOWEVER, THE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK. THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE THE RV TO THE DEALER (EXIT 1 RV, FAIRHAVEN, VERMONT) WHERE THE DOOR WAS REMOVED IN ORDER FOR THE CONTACT TO EXIT THE RV. THE DEALER REMOVED THE LATCH LOCK FROM THE DOOR OF THE RV; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT FOR THE DOOR LATCH AT THAT TIME. THE RV WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 THOR MOTOR COACH WINDSPORT. WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE ENGINE SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION. THE MOTORHOME WAS REPAIRED AND ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S DESTINATION. AFTER BEING PARKED FOR A MONTH, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V265000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE MOTOR HOME WAS SERVICED PER THE RECALL IN 2013. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *DT*JB

THOR WIPER ISSUE STILL CONTINUES. IN APRIL 2019, I HAD MY RV IN FOR THE WIPER RECALL. THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE ACORN NUTS HOLDING THE WIPER ARMS AND TOLD ME THE REMEDY HAD BEEN PERFORMED. WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS IT FAILED AGAIN. I REACHED OUT TO THOR ON OCTOBER 7, 2019 AND SPOKE WITH BRIAN IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPLAINING MY PROBLEM, HE TOLD ME I HAD A LINKAGE ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE WIPER TO OVER TRAVEL AND JAM WITH THE DRIVER WIPER. HE RECOMMEND I TAKE IT TO A THOR REPAIR DEALERSHIP CLAIMING THERE WAS ANOTHER RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER HE RECOMMENDED ONLY SERVICED RV'S THAT WERE PURCHASED THERE. I THEN CALLED BACK TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH TOM OVERTON. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THOR COULD DO SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED. HE GAVE ME A PART NUMBER 0268084, AND THE NAME AND NUMBER OF A PLACE TO ORDER A NEW WIPER ASSEMBLY (TOTAL VALUE RV) I WAS TOLD THE COST WOULD BE 700.32 PLUS SHIPPING. I DECIDED TO ORDER NEW WIPER ARMS AND KNURLED NUTS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL ONE FOR 217.54 PLUS SHIPPING. I HAVE CURRENTLY REMOVED THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER TO KEEP FROM JAMMING BUT THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER OVERSHOOTS THE WINDSHIELD ALSO CAUSING IT TO BE INEFFECTIVE. *DT *TP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD F-53. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTRY DOOR LATCH MECHANISM FAILED TO LOCK THE RV DOOR. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000. *DT*JB*PM CONSUMER STATED HE HAD A FAULTY LATCH.*JB

TRAVELING WEST ON I94 NORTH DAKOTA IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE DURING A RAINSTORM. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME ENTANGLED WHEN THEY WENT OUT OF SYNC CAUSING THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER LINKAGE TO BREAK. WE WERE FORCED TO CONTINUE DRIVING UNTIL WE EXITED THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE AS THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AND INTERSTATE TRAFFIC WAS TWO DIRECTIONS ON ONE SIDE. THIS WAS THE FOURTH TIME THE WIPERS FAILED IN TWO YEARS. PREVIOUS RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON WIPERS.