Thor quality complaint

[Coronadoron]

My wife and I own a 2016 chateau Citation by Thor on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. We have a great experience with the vehicle, enjoying 2-3 10 day trips per year until the middle of 2020 when, suddenly, the synthetic leather on the fold out couch began to massively flake exposing the woven under fabric. It is apparently a very low quality product. The paper thin leather-like covering is failing all over the couch. It’s the nature of the construction of the couch that it’s not going to be possible to simply re- cover the couch. Upon submitting my complaint to Thor I received response from wsupport@tmcrv.com that because the failing is occurring in areas where we would sit or place our hands the item is outside the warranty/goodwill consideration for the coach.
I’m very disappointed that Mercedes would allow such a poor quality product to be installed in their very high quality chassis. Shoppers, beware of Thor!

[klutchdust]

EV2 wrote:

Coronadoron wrote:
.
I’m very disappointed that Mercedes would allow such a poor quality product to be installed in their very high quality chassis. Shoppers, beware of Thor!

Although I sympathize with owners of all brands that have this condition from the inferior product of furniture construction, I am at a loss to understand the reference to the Mercedes control of the couch. If you wish to purchase a motor vehicle chassis of any brand and tie a chicken in a crate on it, no one is going to prevent you from doing so.

Chicken in a crate, that's a good one. I also agree with your statement. The MB truck/chassis is delivered to Thor then they do their magic. My rear slide on my Itasca Cambria stopped coming out, it's not Ford's fault.
IF though the builders knew that certain materials were defective then some type of consideration should come into play. They won't just come
out an offer to change out products without being pushed. You have to become noticed. phone calls, e mails, photos sent to everyone and anyone in the company is a good way to start. Customer service reps are those people that are trained to say no. Keep after them.

[ron_dittmer]

I think that guy thought Mercedes supplied the front seats. He does not realize the chassis is delivered to the motor home manufacture with only a cheap plastic cafeteria style driver seat for lot-driving. That seat goes into the dumpster during the build.

[MDKMDK]

gbopp wrote:

MDKMDK wrote:
I was also wondering why anyone would blame the cab chassis manufacturer, for something completely beyond their control?

I agree, it's like blaming the manufacturer of a getaway car used by a bank robber.

Excellent analogy.

[gbopp]

MDKMDK wrote:
I was also wondering why anyone would blame the cab chassis manufacturer, for something completely beyond their control?

I agree, it's like blaming the manufacturer of a getaway car used by a bank robber.

[MDKMDK]

EV2 wrote:

Coronadoron wrote:
.
I’m very disappointed that Mercedes would allow such a poor quality product to be installed in their very high quality chassis. Shoppers, beware of Thor!

Although I sympathize with owners of all brands that have this condition from the inferior product of furniture construction, I am at a loss to understand the reference to the Mercedes control of the couch. If you wish to purchase a motor vehicle chassis of any brand and tie a chicken in a crate on it, no one is going to prevent you from doing so.

I was also wondering why anyone would blame the cab chassis manufacturer, for something completely beyond their control? If MB stopped selling their cab chassis to the upfitters, like Thor, every time they added something of questionable quality to it afterwards, they'd have to stop selling them to all the upfitters for ever more.
I'd be more concerned about someone adding a box with a roll up door on the back, and seeing Fedex or Frito Lay plastered all over it. :B

[JohninSD]

My 2016 Itasca Navion has done the same thing - it's a pretty common problem. The driver and passenger seats also peeled but it was soon enough that Winnebago sent me a set of replacement covers for them. The couch took a little longer and Winnebago declined to cover it. For now I've thrown a phony sheepskin on the couch until I decide what to do - leaning toward replacing the sleeper couch with a double recliner loveseat - with Ultraleather upholstery.

[EV2]

Coronadoron wrote:
.
I’m very disappointed that Mercedes would allow such a poor quality product to be installed in their very high quality chassis. Shoppers, beware of Thor!

Although I sympathize with owners of all brands that have this condition from the inferior product of furniture construction, I am at a loss to understand the reference to the Mercedes control of the couch. If you wish to purchase a motor vehicle chassis of any brand and tie a chicken in a crate on it, no one is going to prevent you from doing so.

[ron_dittmer]

Coronadoron wrote:
.......until the middle of 2020 when, suddenly, the synthetic leather on the fold out couch began to massively flake exposing the woven under fabric. It is apparently a very low quality product. The paper thin leather-like covering is failing all over the couch.

Your complaint is very common across many motor home manufactures. The problem is a byproduct of the great recession of 2008/2009/2010. Though the seats continue to be manufactured in the USA, the vinyl fabric in rolls has since been purchased from China. When RV manufactures learned of the problem, the lower-end manufactures no longer offered vinyl, the higher-end brands switched to top grain leather to resolve the problem, but people with the problem are left very unhappy because the RV warranty is long expired. A few people replaced the vinyl with leather, some replace the entire seats, and some just throw a blanket over the ugly. One thing certain, it's a problem that originates in China and people like yourself are left to deal with it at your own expense.

If you plan to keep your rig a very long time, I would find out who supplied the seats to Thor and see if they can sell you real leather (or cloth) equivalent skins. Then either replace the skins yourself or get an upholstery shop involved.

For reference, our rig was built just prior to the great recession in the spring of 2007. We have vinyl seats that remain in perfect condition. But people who bought the same rig some years later, seemingly starting model year 2010, they are terribly disappointed like you are. Buy the same rig within the past 3 years or so and they are real leather.

A cloth interior also avoids the problem. Re-skinning with cloth would obviously be more affordable.

[pushtoy_2]

my chateau on a ford chassie 2015 is doing the same thing. thor said i am the second owner so too bad. thats why i have advised people to not buy thor. l had a holiday rambler for 9 yrs it never did any of that.. holiday rambler stood behind there coach after the warrint was over..
never again thor.