Thor A.C.E. Motorcoach R.V.: An in-depth review
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- Опубликовано: 7 дек 2016
- BEWARE, WEARY TRAVELERS!
What lurks beneath the surface of your costly THOR MOTORCOACH from CAMPING WORLD in Lakewood, NJ may chill you to your bones, and frustrate you to no end! Not just the quality of the vehicle, but the customer service as well!
We made this video to make light of a very trying and unfortunate situation, just to ease ourselves of the incredible inconveniences suffered for months on end.
2015 Thor A.C.E. Motorcoach purchased from Camping World NJ of Lakewood, NJ in April 2015, with a 1yr warranty was in the shop for 5 months out of a year and half ownership!
More info:
RVsByThor.com
NJCampingWorld.com
Absolutely my favorite RV review video ever.... still to this day.
It was fun to make but a terrible RV experice.
Everyone with a problem RV needs to make a video like this for RUclips. Who were the 57 people that gave this a thumbs down.
Thor executives and people without a sense of humor..
7 years now with our Thor 'product' - this video is spot on. Although, we didn't buy from Camping World, our RV has lived up to Thor's reputation - it stinks - sometimes literally !!!
Thanks for reminding me to do my research. I bought into all the Thor hype and was dead set on buying one. After watching your video I realized my research was watching videos of salesmen saying how great they were instead of looking for owners. Forums can be tricky to when you don't know who sponsors the forum or if the majority of posters are company hacks.
Now I have to go back and stay my research again, but that's a good thing rather then buying something I'd regret.
These are the "Real World" Reviews that newbies like myself need to see before purchasing an RV.. So few are out there just the slick sales pitch...Thanks...
YES! I am so glad i ran across this site i was just fixing to buy a brand new thor thinking i wouldnt have to worry about getting a lemon by buying a new one. Sure dodged a bullit!!!
I realize I’m seven years late to this video, but it was an absolute delight, and I laughed so hard at it! Particularly the popcorn part. You guys are what the Internet should always, and only have been about. Creative people making interesting and entertaining content.
I have a 2013 Thor ACE. Slide motors rattled, fixed under warrantee. Paint on trim peeled, denied by Thor AFTER I personally spoke to Thor's CEO (fixed by Camping World of Bartow!). No other issues. Build quality is definitely entry level. Never pay full price... start at 2/3 MSRP and work yourself down.
I was planing to buy Thor 30.2 but after this video I might think again 🤔
I am considering a step up to a motorhome but this has convinced me to just stick with my Lance TT! With which I have had only one minor problem in the first year of ownership!
I was considering a Thor Axis or ACE motorhome but this video has changed my mind too. Thanks for posting. WIlliam Foster, I have heard that Lance TT are very well built, Pricey but built much better.
I got a THOR 2015 Hurricane. What a piece of S!! Had almost all of the same problems. After 2 years the cheap seats in the front came apart. Oh the front windshield leaks water as well as where they installed the antenna and the drawers around the oven have completely come apart. Having problem with the generator now that I got into some areas where its hot (UTAH). Took it to Cummins in Denver (Onan 5500 model), they told me the area where the generator is was poorly designed and not properly built to the specs needed for proper use so it overheats and shuts down when its 95 outside. AWESOME VIDEO JON!!!! Sorry had to vent a little!!
Very clever way to review the motorhome. I enjoyed watching.
This was great. That's 100k that neither Thor or Camping World is getting from me. Thanks for the vid
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this video. For you to show all the issues you had in a fun, informative and truly professional honest way was friggin amazing. Most people would be so mad, they would shoot the camera person! Bravo,...well done.
at the point, we made the video the problem with the RV was comical.
Wish I had seen this video when I was researching units. In the first month my Thor Axis had a failed furnace that pumped exhaust into the cabin, water heater went out, tolite leaked, locks on door failed, heating ducks fell out along with wiring, radio cuts out... and there is still more. Oh and yes Camping World has been the worst, and Thor no better. Unit went in for repairs during the first month of ownership, and well its still in the shop today.
Thanks for the info Thor, much appreciated. We were looking at the Thor Ace and you just changed my mind...big time!!!
Thanks for sharing. This is exactly what Greg Gerber and other RV journalists have been writing about. Too many RV manufacturers (not all) push out too much product without quality control and the ability to have enough facilities to correct existing problems. The typical one year warranty is worthless, especially when the repair shop is booked up for months and then have to leave your RV with them for weeks/months. By the time you get it back, the warranty is almost over and/or the camping season has just about ended.
This happened to my husband and I. We bought the Heartland toy hauler and as SOON as we got it home the slide out broke. We had to haul it back to the place which is a 2 hour drive and they kept it for months. Couldn’t use it at all for the season. Then the slide broke three more times. And the tv and DVD player/sound system broke after using it a few times 😭 horrible company.
You have done great justice to RV buyers. Thor should be ashamed.
we had similar number of issues when we bought a new 2012 Fleetwood Storm. However to Fleetwood's credit they fixed each issue, sending it to the factory twice and taking care of other repairs locally, well past the warranty.
Your video is off the hook btw. I've shared it a lot to other poor Thor owners or to those whom know our plight. I'm going to post a video of our 2018 Synergy Review and what we found to me was shocking. We really liked our Salesperson but he has become so numb to the Industry he didn't steer us away from Thor. When we started coming in with our repair lists he stated "yeah I was surprised you guys pick Thor?" Went to say how much better a Winnebago View or whatever would have been. Thor was a little cheaper but when your spending that much money 5k is nothing at that point. We are goinna on a year long tour soon and I'm taking a large tool bag and we going to put a DO NOT BUY THOR sign on it. Maybe I can save one person.
Thanks David..
Wow that is why we bought a tiffin from a local dealer not a camping world. Great video, hope all your problems get resolved and you can get back on the road!
This was a fantastic video!!! FYI: A lot of RVs are not great when purchased new. HOWEVER, definitely got the short end of the stick on this one. It is hard to believe that you had that many issues, and no, I am NOT doubting you. I hope that it all gets sorted out, as it is BS you got screwed this poorly.
Thank you for your review, very entertaining, but more importantly you probably saved me a lot of frustration. I was considering buying one. but not now.... thanks again Steve
A sad commentary on the RV industry . . . but you missed your vocation . . . nicely done!
I too was looking forward to I was thinking of getting a Thor coach. Not now. I've heard from several people not to buy a Thor product.
Outstanding, right on point. I am going to court soon.
Best and funniest review I have ever seen on any product, period! Very witty and to the point. So sad that this industry doesn't give a crap about their customers or their reputation. Cars get it right most of the time. Why can't RV manufacturers do the same? Shame on them!
thanks
Thank you so much for making this vid. Was looking into buying a Thor but not anymore.
That was awesome! I bought a brand new 2015 Jayco Precept 29UM built on the same Ford 53 V10 chassis as your Thor. My experience has been excellent. Only a couple of very minor issues. Now has 23,500 miles in nearly 2 & 1/2 years. Thor bought Jayco over a year ago.....during that transition, several newer Jayco customers reported on the forums having similar experiences to yours.....sad!
yeah its too bad.. An american company should be looking out for the people who make the investments in their products.
Awesome! Thank you for this great video. I am in the market and was considering this exact model. Will definitely rethink this!!! Good luck!
Ha! Very funny. We bought a Thor Tuscany. Took delivery 2/15. We knew our 1st trip it had problems & had issues with the jacks too. Had 60 items on our list of problems. We did sue Thor and after 14 months of hell we settled thru mediation for a replacement. The 2016 was 1000 times better but still had a few issues from the factory. Needless to say we did a very thorough 2 day inspection & refused delivery for 60 days until all issues were fixed. All this was after 10 years with 2 Forest River RV's (5 years ea) with zero issues. We had no idea the RV industry had such problems until we "upgraded" to the DP. Even in your state doesn't have a lemon law on RV's your still covered under the Federal Magnuson Moss warranty act.
Ty for sharing it’s been a huge help partnered up with this video for us new to looking in to joining the RV living in type of a life style
Thank you for the information!!!!! I have been looking at Thors and figured the price points were so low because they suck. Thanks for confirming. Onward for the search.
Thank you for this information I appreciate your efforts in trying to show us your problems I was also considering buying the exact same motorhome but I will do a little bit more research I appreciate your time thank you. Don
Thank you for the service. Consumers need truth like this. I looked at a brand new 2017 Thor and the cabinet doors already fell off. They use tiny, improper screws attached to fake wood that can't hold a screw. I guess made in USA doesn't mean much any more!
Thank you!!! We were narrowed down to 4 choices and 3 of them were Thor. This made the decision easy.
What was the non thor that you purchased? Do you still have it? Are you happy with it?
Thank you so much for posting this. I was just about to purchase one!!!!
I live in New Jersey and went to camping world with my fiancé to look at these !! They treated us like we had no business looking at them and we're wasting their time !! Needless to say we will never buy anything from that dealership !! Thanks for sharing very informative and hysterical ... It's funny because we were literally looking at the same model
Grey Goose 4x4 I
AMEN!!! I was originally attracted to Thor because of the Outlaw series... but quickly learned (and was warned -- by EVERYONE) to STAY AWAY FROM THOR. It was a good thing, too... as we eventually decided to go with an older coach -- a 2003 American Eagle. It's built like a solid brick -- and we get the quality and finish of a $400,000+ coach for a fraction of the cost. Sure, it's an older coach... but the owners took exceptional care of it, and it's given us absolutely zero issues after almost two years. That's what I always tell people -- stay away from the new stuff, unless you have lots of time to blow and don't mind melting a few credit cards sitting around waiting for fixes and months of time waiting on "warranty fixes" that usually don't fix everything on the first, second, or even third round. I don't trust most RV Sales places... since none of them are going to be good with warranties, since warranties are driven by the manufacturer, but especially don't go to Camping World. I don't mind buying camping accessories from them, but I'd avoid them like crazy when it comes to RV purchasing or even RV repairs.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are in the market for a unit and will definitely consider your experiences when making our decision where and what to buy. Thor and Camping World is off our list.
So glad i stumbled across your video. I am looking into the 29.3 ACE. This really puts things in perspective.
Does anyone have a 2018 that’s experiencing all these issues. I hear of claims how they addressed the major issues in 2017. Sure that’s probably a selling tactic.
Clever video sir. Much appreciated.
Thanks
Not LOOKING at THOR from now on... Thanks for the enlightening video... I heard horror stories about Camping World - I steer clear of them as well nowadays!
GREAT review!! I recently purchased a 2014 Thor ACE, I'm the second owner and I'm ALREADY looking to upgrade 3 months later. I was told Thor is an entry level class A for newbies. Well, that is correct! Very cheaply made. But my next coach will NOT be a Thor.
That was a great video! I appreciate your review so much! We were looking into buying a Thor this weekend. Now I know your woas and won't be going with this company. Thanks!
You'd get more views with Thor in the thumbnail somehow and better title, like Thor's visit RV'ing on Earth, I liked it just for the acting.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Thanks for this info before I took the dive. So sad the quality these days and customer service sucks.
I have been looking at Euro RV''s and. Wow what a difference in quality and better pricing.
Great video! Appreciate your honesty. They suck you in with the nice finishes, and floorplans but in reality its a polished TURD! Its sad how they steal your $100k+ and wont stand behind their product, should be a class action lawsuit. We don't own an RV yet, but thankful for all those that have left reviews. THOR owns most of the industry unfortunately
Camping World is a joke. Wonderful idea for a store with just about the worst execution you can imagine. Customer service is horrendous at best - if you can even call it "customer service" - more like servicing a customer by screwing them. - I would add Camping World to the title of this video somewhere - they need to straighten their crap out and nothing will make a company do that faster than a little viral video shaming. Will be sharing your video. I'm sorry for your experience man.
Thanks Man.. its a shame.. i was really looking forward to being an RV owner..
SpinninBackfisted. I'd recommend boycotting anything Marcus Lemonis is a part of including Gander Outdoors.
Holiday world is just as bad. Steer clear of buying a Rv in Budapest, TX also.
Thanks for the review I was about to buy that same RV this weekend, I just switch to Jayco Alante 27A.
Glad we could help
It's not just Thor, they're all the same! A guy I met custom builds motorhomes to your specs, he purchases new buses and converts them for you, he told me if you pay a million plus on a unit I guarantee you it'll be back in the shop within a month, that's just the way it is!! I asked what the best brand out there was and he said "anything that's a rental"! He told me he doesn't own a motorhome nor would he ever buy one - he rents!!
great video I own a campground see alot of rvs they all have issues and fly by night dealers, great on the prom night but dont know your name the next day.
One of the most frequent topics of conversation we hear, is the hell that customers go through to get warranty work done after purchasing a new RV. It seems that no matter what you buy, customer service is disappointing to say the least. I shared your video on my FB page; maybe if enough people complain publicly on social media, the pressure will build on the industry to step up their game.
Remember years ago Toyota, Nissan and others were ahead of the game in the automobile market , the US had to wake up and re invent themselves making better quality cars, people are nor stupid any more, the internet is very powerful and could make you or brake you...
They say you have to be a DIY type handy man like myself. Things will go wrong and you have to fix what you can yourself but you sir....got the lemons of all lemons! Our 3 year old Vegas only needed the rear ceiling fan fixed and a cabinet piston. Yours? You need to be a journeyman service repairer! Funny video though......
Thank you! Was eyeing Thor for a purchase, but after this video, its a no go!
James Jones we were to I like the overall shape of the vehicle. Didn't want something to big and I thought a Thor would be the one but this sealed the deal. No Thor for me.
Raymond Bell I'm with you. Thor was my nearest dealership, but reviews were terrible. Will be looking at winnebago's now.
This was so good. Thank you this was so good.
I am another proud owner of a 2014 ace POS
How disappointing. I have been thinking about buying one but I have feared what happened in this video. Shame on you Camping World and Thor! Camping World customer service is rude and not helpful. Love Ian who does the videos though. Thank you for letting us know what happened.
Absolutely Brilliant.
Thanks! I was looking to purchase a motorhome. Thor is off my list.
We bought a Thor. Had nothing but problems with it. Sold it at a loss with less than 1500 miles on it. Glad to be rid of it!!!
This is hilarious but true. We are in the process of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast but we don’t have retractable stairs and jacks. We’ve only owned this for a month! Also shower and kitchen p traps have already cracked and flooded our floors and we’ve barely moved. There’s more but we’ll see how Thor customer service handles these once we get to our destination. Hopefully nothing else will fail.
I have been a RVer for many years and have found Fleetwood to be a good quality RV, my current is a 08 Fleetwood Bounder on a Ford chassis and has been pretty good, no major issues, but I can also say its normal for little stuff to break and one needs to do the little repairs themselves and not the dealer, they take weeks to do simple work, best to do it yourself and leave the big repairs to warranty or good repair shops..
So far mine has needed no repair shop yet.
Roger Rabbit Fleetwood sucks too. I have a 2011 Terra 31 TS and at the 5 year mark it just fell apart... literally!
Im glad i saw this video. I was thinking seriously thinking about buying a new 22 ft. Thor. I think i will buy a better quality product now!
Love the video. Maybe you can recoup your losses by reviewing rv's. Maybe a hippie outfit for Forrest River?
Sorry to hear that cause they often look so good. I've heard this from at least 10 owners about Thor and 5 plus about Camping World.
I wonder if LOKI make RV'S?
I’m 100% with you about camping work and thor
Thanks for the video. I was thinking about getting getting one of the RUV by Thor, but not any more.
Chris Wu LOOK AT TIFFEN OR MONACO. Read user reviews at RVT.com
The axis , or Vegas pieces of junk as well
I bought new thor ace for reliability, mine has 1300 mi's I wouldn't ever trust this thing a hour from my house.5 months out of 18 and counting in the shop. Was suppose to be the life dream and experience, instead makes me sick to my stomach and ruins my week talking about 40 + issues and doesn't seem to stop and my 3 yr warranty expired within 1 yr. This thing is probally going to, well I would like to say nickel and dime me to death, but more like quarter and dollar me to death!
I’m sorry you went through this with your family! You end up keeping the Thor? Issues ever get resolved? Hilarious video BTW! Clever as hell!
This is a great video, I would like to see a follow-up video. I have a 2017 THOR A.C.E and it also has a long list of issues. It cost $131,000 CDN. It is somewhat shocking to see the low level of workmanship that actually went into the construction of this unit.
Take a look at some THOR factory videos, those people are moving so fast that they don't have time to pay attention to any details. Just slap it together with the cheapest parts possible and move on to the next one.
We never did a follow up.. Traded it in for a pull behind, Thor ignored us. But we are certain the video talked some buyers out of the RV for sure.
Great !!! Thank you !!
Our Newmar Motorhome was brand new when we purchased it. I was in the emergency room on three occasions on our first trip. Problem: Newmar Motorhome tested and it contains formaldehyde and ethyl alcohol. Have not been inside it since the first trip. We are also being ignored by Newmar and Steinbring Motorcoach of Garfield, Minnesota.
Our Thor ACE 30.2 was a nightmare to drive from the first moment we took delivery. Shame on Thor and Ford for putting out such a down right dangerous vehicle to drive. That thing wallowed all over the highway like a rubber duck in a bath tube. Now 4,000 miles and approximately $5000.00 later we have installed front sway bar, steering stabilizer, sumo springs all around, rear stabilizer and rear tracking bar, all just to get it to go down the highway in a straight line. Next we go to work on the terrible screeching wind noise at highway speeds. We contacted Thor and they were very helpful. They said it was coming from their "new style"grill design. They sent an "old style" grill free of charge, but it made no difference. Any hints out there?
Great video! Sorry for your issues. We are looking at Thor - purchased, dealer kept making promises - weeks went by - I cancelled and got my deposit back. Likely good thing it fell thru as Thor quality seems like a joke. I should have know when the one we bought had pieces falling off of it while we walked thru it. Hmm.
So did you have any problems with your RV ?
Was really interested in a Thor Outlaw. Not any more. Thx for the video!
Wish we would have seen this before we bought our 2017 Thor Windsport P34. Hydrolics on lifts kept blowing & large slide has broke 3 times. We sunk over $2000.00 to repair it just for it to not work again. Going after them with lemon law.....
Thor also owns many other rv brands, beware
I trust Winnebago more than Thor. I doubt you could find very few legitimate complaints about Winnebago. On the other hand you cannot use an RV like a house. Its very different habits. NOT defending Thor but there are too sides. It breaks my heart to see a new families on their RV adventure treated this way.
Great video!!!..
well done
Thank you for the warning. I was looking up this model (Thor ACE 30.2) on the Internet and I found your video. Due to this video I won’t be buying a Thor. I already own a Thor subsidiary (Jayco) and it’s nothing but problems. I had a Jayco prior to Thor buying it and it was great, but it seems everything Thor touch’s turns to poo.
The most common trip a thor owner will be taking is to the warranty repair center...
So are you still having issues? You link for "Rest of Story" on both sites doesn't work. Can we get an update?
Ralph Smith we never heard back from Thor. They ignored us.
Jonathan Henderson you should post the link to this on thor's facebook and twiiter
WOW! - We are in the market and have just crossed off Camping World and Thor off the list! TY for this video and we are sorry for your dilemma... WHat did you get as a replacement? or did you?
Well ...we almost got one. Test drive was awful. RV shook and bounced horribly on the road and was almost undrivable.
Has anyone been hurt or injured because of any of the defects ? if so, then you wouldn't be dealing with a lemon law case , it would be a personal injury case due to defects ??
hire a lawyer and sue camping world and thor motor coaches for selling you a lemon and for breach of contract for bad warrenty
We tried.. Lemon law doesn't apply and because of the purchase agreement and BS 12 month warranty we are beat..
Oh my God, me and my father just bought a Thor we haven’t even got it on the road yet. Had some kind a hose leaking, back air-conditioner wasn’t hooked up, if you stand in front of the motorhome it is an inch shorter on the driver side all the way down to the end of the motorhome. Really anxious to get out on the road and remember these videos. By the way where is the freshwater drain plug on the 2019 Thor motorcoach?
Bless you
My parents have a Thor Super C and it has been nothing but a disaster ! I feel so bad and helpless for them.They sent a letter to Thor for help as they have had continuous issues monthly since the purchase and now the warranty is coming to an end. They refuse to respond. Terrible when these companies know that they have the upper hand and just slam the door on the customer.
Show me which RV dealer does pre-delivery inspection’s and gives copies of those documents to the customer before they purchased the motorhome and show me the dealer that does a complete and thorough LP gas system test and provide the testing results to the customer before the customer signs the Dotted line i’ve been over to that stadium several times during RV shows they have no documentation of test results of any coaches on the ground NOT one. You could make something look pretty but is it safe to operate and does everything operate correctly the way it is designed.
I personally would be skeptical of buying those van conversions because in civil cases it’s really hard to get parts for the chassis the public has never been told that in many cases also.
Talk about the dealer documentation regarding the pre-delivery inspection’s before they place these motorhomes on the lot for sale.
I challenge any RV buyer to find a list of these items that of been checked documentation related to these tests before you signed a contract find any motorhome from any dealership of your choice
Go to any RV dealership of your choice and ask the RV dealership they provide proof that this following list of items have been checked off and they are willing to show you the list.
Thank you
Hahah every time stuff go wrong on our Thor my wife and i say "Unpopcorn!"
hahahaha amazing..
thats so rad.. thanks for watching..
2021, found you via the campersmarts blog. Looks like Thor is in the acquisitions business, and not the quality product business. You're right, this is embarrassing. I hope you were able to get satisfaction by now.
WOW, I'm lol😂 that was a good video, and you are handling the problem of your rv with good class, thanks for head up, looking to go full time in next couple of years, this makes me mad, because like you said , that vehicle costs good money , been in the shop 5 times ....hello lemon law lawyer
All TRUE!!!! they suck.. theyve not done a Damn thing to mine, except to deny everything....including the warranty.
Yeah, its disappointing what they get away with..
He did a great job as Thor this was hilarious but informative! I know it's not supposed to be funny.
thanks..
Did you ever buy a competing product that you liked?
yes.. A pull behind Coachmen Ultra light
I may have just dodged the bullet on buying Thor at Camping World in Lakewood New Jersey
that place is the worst!
Great vid ... and, Thor's quality hasn't improved either. We have a 2019 30.2 and its by far the worst purchase I have ever made. And getting them fixed at the dealer (Camping World)? Pffft. One would be better off finding a couple random kids to work on it ... likely would get a better result.
My wife and I bought a used 2015 ACE 30.1 from Lazy Days in Tampa in Jan 2017. The unit was in great condition with only 10,000 miles. The sales staff at Lazy Days was good to work and they corrected several major problems that were covered by their 30 day warranty. No issues with Lazy Days, but the quality of Thor leaves much to be desired. 2 weeks after we bought it the emergency escape hatch (bedroom window) began leaking and the drain in the shower pan sprung a leak. Lazy Days repaired those items. Several months later after heavy rains I noticed the floor next to the bed was spongy. I pulled the tile and found the floor decking and under lying insulation were saturated. I discovered both windows in the slide out were not caulked from the factory and had been leaking from day 1. Numerous cabinet latches have broken, one of the power ports next to the drivers seat didn't work and the other one was wired backwards causing fuses to blow anytime you plug in a fused device. In April 2018 when we moved from the west coast of Florida to the east coast, the AC and stereo/radio/backup camera simply stopped working while driving across state. Fortunately I purchased a 5 year warranty with the Thor because the local dealer (Palm Bay) had to replace the stereo/radio/backup screen and discovered the AC fuse was blowing because the conductor (wire) that feeds the compressor had a damaged insulator (cover) because the Thor factory routed the wire between 2 dash panel components instead of around. The local shop rerouted the wire and repaired the insulator.
In replacing cabinet latches, I had to remove drawers and shelves and I found piles of trash (screws, nails, wire stripping, saw dust, etc.) under the cabinets. This is construction/fabrication garbage that should have been cleaned as the unit was being assembled. This simply shows me Thor will cut corners and hide defects at will.
Michael Sharpe exactly! Why didn’t they clean up all the saw dust they left everywhere!