NHTSA Complaint #10874059 — 2016 THOR PALAZZO

ON APRIL 5, 2016, AS WE WERE DRIVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH, WHEN WITH NO WARNING, WITH NO WARNING, THE OVERHEAD CABINET DIRECTLY OVER OUR HEADS CAME CRASHING DOWN ON US. IT HIT ME ON THE HEAD AND SHOULDER, AND HIT MY HUSBAND, JEFF, ON HIS ARM AND HAND. JEFF MANAGED TO LOOK OUT THE SIDE WINDOW AND USE THE CENTER LANE MARKING TO MAKE SURE WE STAYED ON THE ROAD. HE THEN PUT HIS HEAD DOWN SO THAT HE COULD SEE WELL ENOUGH UNDERNEATH THE FALLEN CABINET TO GET US OFF ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. IF HE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT, WE VERY LIKELY WOULD HAVE GONE OFF THE ROAD. WE FIRST HAD TO SEMI-ARGUE WITH THOR TO GET THEM TO ADDRESS THIS WARRANTY ITEM. WHEN THEY FINALLY AGREED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, WE HAD TO INSIST THAT THEY RE-ENGINEER HOW THE OVERHEAD CABINET WAS ATTACHED TO THE BED THAT RIDES ABOVE THE CAB. THE WAY THE CABINET WAS ATTACHED WAS TO HAVE 14 WOOD SCREWS IN THE FRONT OF THE CABINET, ADHERING IT TO THE METAL BED & REINFORCEMENT ABOVE, AND ONLY 2 IN THE BACK OF THE CABINET. AGAIN, WOOD SCREWS WERE USED TO ATTEMPT TO SCREW INTO METAL. WE WERE DISAPPOINTED BY THE SOMEWHAT LACK OF CONCERN THOR DISPLAYED FOR OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO MAY HAVE PURCHASED A MOTORHOME WITH THE SAME OVERHEAD CABINET CONFIGURATION. THEY KEPT INSISTING THAT OUR SITUATION WAS AN EXCEPTION, AND THAT THIS HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. HOWEVER, HOW SECURE CAN ANY CABINET BE IF WOOD SCREWS ARE USED TO SCREW INTO METAL'..AND ARE 2 SCREWS TRULY SUFFICIENT FOR ADHERING THE BACK PORTION OF THE CABINET, WHERE MOST OF THE WEIGHT SITS? WE'RE OK NOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHERS? OTHERS MAY HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO THEM. PERHAPS THIS HAS ALREADY OCCURRED, WITH DISASTROUS RESULTS, AND THE OCCUPANTS MAY NOT BE IN ANY POSITION TO EXPLAIN THAT THE CABINET WAS THE CAUSE, AND NOT JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH.*DT*JB