|
|
05-16-2018, 03:23 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Southern IN
Posts: 1,013
|
RV Industry: On Notice... No More Cr@p!!
Saw this today from the Charlotte Observer. Couple buys their new "retirement home", a $270k Class A Thor motor home. They have had nothing but problems, including as they describe it, "Geysers of Sewage", and hydraulic fluid leaking in to the unit itself. They are suing Thor Industries.
Here's more:
An NC couple is suing their RV's builder over chronic problems | Charlotte Observer
__________________
Gerard
2017 Coachmen Apex 269RBKS with Summit Pkg.
2014 Ford Expedition with factory installed HD tow pkg.
Blue Ox SwayPro WDH
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 03:48 PM
|
#2
|
Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,556
|
Another example of quality issues being a RV manufacturers system-wide issue, not just a brand or price point problem.
All manufacturers, not just FR, have quality issues.
Even the most expensive ones, like this Thor model.
And the chances that a foreign company will start making RVs for the North American market, are slim to none.
So changes will have to come from some other source.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 06:30 PM
|
#3
|
Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Northen IL
Posts: 8,267
|
How bad does your plumbing have to be messed up to have your sewer backing up into your shower?
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 06:50 PM
|
#4
|
Georgia Rally Coordinator
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: GA
Posts: 24,297
|
Yes its a shame but it happens to all RV manufactures just got to have a little patience and good phone manners. Sounds like Thor is willing to work with them but I think they blew by hiring legal. Later RJD
__________________
2020 Shasta Phoenix SPF 27RKSS (sold)
2018 Dodge Ram 2500 6.4 3:73 gearing. Traded 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0, 4:10
Traded 2015 30WRLIKS V-Lite
Days camped 2019 62
Days camped 2020 49 days camped 2021-74 2022-40 days 2023 5 days
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 07:44 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
|
I read the paper and after a month and a half they got cold feet, they wanted there money back.
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 08:35 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 321
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by aceinspp
Yes its a shame but it happens to all RV manufactures just got to have a little patience and good phone manners. Sounds like Thor is willing to work with them but I think they blew by hiring legal. Later RJD
|
I think the only reason Thor wants to work with them is because they hired a lawyer.
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 08:45 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Lexington, NC
Posts: 2,621
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by carlsbad
I think the only reason Thor wants to work with them is because they hired a lawyer.
|
Yep, that was my inference. Sometimes - but not always - that's what it takes.
__________________
2018 Coachmen Apex 249 RBS
2010 Silverado LT 5.3 V8
The world is a great book, of which those who never stir from home
read only a page. - St. Augustine
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 09:21 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
|
Ok I get it, every manufacturer has QC issues somewhere, some have a reputation...., let's leave it at that.
What I don't get is why they are trying to get rid of the MH, is it because they bought a lemon and there is no way to make it work or is it because they found their dream property and started building their dream home on it within months of buying the RV?
Or did they come to realize that the depreciation on the RV is more than they are willing to swallow?
After I read the news article carefully a 2nd time I figured that either the reporter has no clue what he is reporting on or someone is making up a story that doesn't really make sense, "A cloud of diesel fumes pouring into the bedroom from a hydraulic leak" - what??? Then the "daily dose of sewage in the shower" story, how is that even possible when you read carefully, and if there were major plumbing screw ups weren't they fixed under warranty? Or didn't they leave the gray tank open while doing laundry?
I'm curious what the other 158 problems are they have encountered and if this is their 1st RV.
Oh, and the other side of the story because there isn't much left for me to believe on TV, the newspaper and the internet
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 09:46 PM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,140
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by spock123
I read the paper and after a month and a half they got cold feet, they wanted there money back.
|
Rightfully so.. they deserve it back and the extra 100 Grand they are asking for.
|
|
|
05-16-2018, 09:49 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,140
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cypressloser
Ok I get it, every manufacturer has QC issues somewhere, some have a reputation...., let's leave it at that.
What I don't get is why they are trying to get rid of the MH, is it because they bought a lemon and there is no way to make it work or is it because they found their dream property and started building their dream home on it within months of buying the RV?
Or did they come to realize that the depreciation on the RV is more than they are willing to swallow?
After I read the news article carefully a 2nd time I figured that either the reporter has no clue what he is reporting on or someone is making up a story that doesn't really make sense, "A cloud of diesel fumes pouring into the bedroom from a hydraulic leak" - what??? Then the "daily dose of sewage in the shower" story, how is that even possible when you read carefully, and if there were major plumbing screw ups weren't they fixed under warranty? Or didn't they leave the gray tank open while doing laundry?
I'm curious what the other 158 problems are they have encountered and if this is their 1st RV.
Oh, and the other side of the story because there isn't much left for me to believe on TV, the newspaper and the internet
|
They say they can't trust it anymore, and after 6 months in repair centers and STILL not fixed completely why wait any longer. Seems they had a dream to travel and this Motorhome destroyed that dream for them.. Its different when you have a unit parked in your driveway with issues, your not counting on it to live in.
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 07:18 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Warsaw,NC
Posts: 7,184
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ronheater70
Rightfully so.. they deserve it back and the extra 100 Grand they are asking for.
|
Are you crazy? There is no camper that perfect built. All campers have problems, after all it’s a house rolling down the road. If you have a camper you have to be able to fix some things and pay someone else to fix problems you can’t. My black water tank valve did not work for over two years, it was fixed at the rally last year. It was a easy fix for me to install a twist on valve on the sewer outlet. I hope they don’t get a dime. They just got cold feet and decided they wanted a house instead.
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 07:52 AM
|
#12
|
Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 63
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by spock123
Are you crazy? There is no camper that perfect built. All campers have problems, after all it’s a house rolling down the road. If you have a camper you have to be able to fix some things and pay someone else to fix problems you can’t. My black water tank valve did not work for over two years, it was fixed at the rally last year. It was a easy fix for me to install a twist on valve on the sewer outlet. I hope they don’t get a dime. They just got cold feet and decided they wanted a house instead.
|
Would you not sue a contractor for building a house that the sewage didn’t work in for over two years? It would be easy to dig a hole and crap in it every day, but you paid to have plumbing done in your brand new house. The mentality of “well, there are always issues with new RVs” is exactly the reason they continue to put out shoddy workmanship. It’s expected and accepted.
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:02 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,140
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by spock123
Are you crazy? There is no camper that perfect built. All campers have problems, after all it’s a house rolling down the road. If you have a camper you have to be able to fix some things and pay someone else to fix problems you can’t. My black water tank valve did not work for over two years, it was fixed at the rally last year. It was a easy fix for me to install a twist on valve on the sewer outlet. I hope they don’t get a dime. They just got cold feet and decided they wanted a house instead.
|
You're kidding right? I mean 6 months in the shop? This is above and beyond normal, and Even if they knew how to repair themselves they shouldnt have too. So they got cold feet, sure, cold sewer feet..I hope they win everything they are asking for. Hell, with service like that no wonder they want a house.
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:03 AM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Greensboro NC
Posts: 1,140
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by schaffer05
Would you not sue a contractor for building a house that the sewage didn’t work in for over two years? It would be easy to dig a hole and crap in it every day, but you paid to have plumbing done in your brand new house. The mentality of “well, there are always issues with new RVs” is exactly the reason they continue to put out shoddy workmanship. It’s expected and accepted.
|
BINGO!!
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:13 AM
|
#15
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 21
|
Some of you seem to forget they were full timers. How much of a hotel bill do you think they ran up after all those times the RV was in the shop? 6 months of issues is a lot of time to be stuck waiting for your home to become usable. I would want a full refund or full credit for another RV after all that myself.
__________________
2014 Rockwood Windjammer 3006WK.
2015 F-150
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:24 AM
|
#16
|
Broken Toe
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Imperial (St. Louis) MO
Posts: 3,745
|
Ive said for years...
People want 30+ foot campers, with big fridges, fireplaces, huge televisions, plenty of counter space, theater seating, and want it all to weigh under 8000 pounds so they can tow it with a Ford Explorer. Oh and keep the cost down to about $23k, if you please.
So tell me, how can you possibly make a unit to those specs and keep quality levels to some imagined level? Everything has to be built out of pizza boxes and chopsticks to keep the weight acceptable, and gotta be pumped out faster than humanly possible to keep the costs agreeable. We (the RV'ing public) are getting EXACTLY what we (the RV'ing public) asked for.
The only two things that are going to change the paradigm is moving from piece-work pay at the factories (probably never gonna happen) and automation. Automation is what I do. I've taken the factory tours and was aghast at how they build them. The floors in particular. They run the glue for the floor by hand (I watched a guy completely miss a stringer without a care in the world), lay down the wood. Then they use a sheet-metal template to mark the floor openings for things like heat ducts, and a guy comes by with a circular saw and makes 4 plunge-cuts at each marked hole. Again, I saw one duct whole that was a good 1.5" larger than the next one.
Give me a Fanuc M20i robot on rails with a glue dispenser and a routing head, and I could lay the glue down and then rout out the floor openings with half-millimeter precision. Not all operations could be automated, but you would be surprised at what could be. Probably just as fast as a human. I swear, if I would want to move to Elkhart, I would set up an automation company and be set for life.
Tim
__________________
FROG Member MO-0008-571 Since 20124444444444My Project Blog: https://cowracer.blogspot.com/
"Camper" 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralite 8329ss
"Casper" 2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Diesel
..ProPride 3P Hitch - "Yeah. It's worth it."
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:28 AM
|
#17
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 194
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjones12
Yep, that was my inference. Sometimes - but not always - that's what it takes.
|
If you read the article, it states 'WITHOUT the help of an attorney" so they never hired a lawyer and are doing this on their own.
__________________
Paul and Angela
Raleigh, NC
2018 Windjammer 3008w
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:31 AM
|
#18
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Middle GA
Posts: 1,289
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowracer
Ive said for years...
People want 30+ foot campers, with big fridges, fireplaces, huge televisions, plenty of counter space, theater seating, and want it all to weigh under 8000 pounds so they can tow it with a Ford Explorer. Oh and keep the cost down to about $23k, if you please.
So tell me, how can you possibly make a unit to those specs and keep quality levels to some imagined level? Everything has to be built out of pizza boxes and chopsticks to keep the weight acceptable, and gotta be pumped out faster than humanly possible to keep the costs agreeable. We (the RV'ing public) are getting EXACTLY what we (the RV'ing public) asked for.
The only two things that are going to change the paradigm is moving from piece-work pay at the factories (probably never gonna happen) and automation. Automation is what I do. I've taken the factory tours and was aghast at how they build them. The floors in particular. They run the glue for the floor by hand (I watched a guy completely miss a stringer without a care in the world), lay down the wood. Then they use a sheet-metal template to mark the floor openings for things like heat ducts, and a guy comes by with a circular saw and makes 4 plunge-cuts at each marked hole. Again, I saw one duct whole that was a good 1.5" larger than the next one.
Give me a Fanuc M20i robot on rails with a glue dispenser and a routing head, and I could lay the glue down and then rout out the floor openings with half-millimeter precision. Not all operations could be automated, but you would be surprised at what could be. Probably just as fast as a human. I swear, if I would want to move to Elkhart, I would set up an automation company and be set for life.
Tim
|
Unfortunately, I agree. I'm all for hiring people to do the work. However, people have bad days, get in a hurry and make mistakes, etc. Robots don't have bad days, do the same thing every time, etc.
__________________
Ben and Doreen
Home Away From Home - 2017 PT Crusader 315RST
TV - 2016 Ram 3500 Laramie 4X4 6.7 Cummins Diesel
Never Enough Time Camping!!
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:33 AM
|
#19
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Orlando
Posts: 778
|
The problem with the RV industry is they pay piece work. That means management doesn't have to "manage" work output. That method is fine but quality control becomes very important to ensure while employees are trying to do as much as possible they don't do shoddy work. That's where the RV industry fails. It would not cost a whole lot more to slow down a little and oversee the work.
|
|
|
05-17-2018, 08:41 AM
|
#20
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 22
|
As to foreign manufacturers not getting into the US RV, just travel to SE Asia and check their R&D facilities and you will see many RV prototypes. The US RV industry is doing exactly the same thing the US auto industry did years ago and we all know where that ended.
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|