NHTSA Complaint #11100686 — 2014 THOR MOTOR COACH CHALLENGER

MY WIFE AND I TOOK DELIVERY OF OUR THOR RV AT 7PM ON 12/05/14 WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF EVER BEING ALLOWED TO TEST DRIVE THE RV. MANY EXCUSES BY CAMPING WORLD. LEFT DEALER AND DROVE 300 YEARS ON NEARBY SURFACE ROAD AND BRAKED TO JOIN ENTRANCE RAMP TO INTERSTATE 75. BRAKES FAILED BECAUSE 3 POUND, RIGID 4 FOOT VINYL-CLAD, WOODEN FRAME COVERING HAD DISLODGED FROM THE ELECTRIC OVERHEAD BUNK FRAME AND DROPPED TO THE DRIVER'S FLOOR BEHIND BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS. COULD NOT SLOW COACH FROM 35MPH BUT FORCED TO THE SHOULDER OF ROAD UNDER OVERHEAD INTERSTATE EXCHANGE. TO STOP RV, DRIVER HAD TO DOWNSHIFT, THEN PLACE RV INTO NEUTRAL AND EVENTUALLY ENGAGE EMERGENCY BRAKE AS RV CAREENED TO A STOP ON GRASSY SHOULDER JUST BEFORE SPLASHING INTO A 2 ACRE, 6 FOOT DEEP WATER COLLECTION POND AT HIGHWAY EXIT. CAMPING WORLD STORE HAD CLOSED BUT WE DROVE BACK ANYWAY TO SEE IF WE COULD GET HELP. NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE. AT LEAST TWO COACH STEEL BRACE COVERS RISING FROM THE CAB FLOOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY HELD IN PLACE WITH HOOK-AND-LOOP CLOSURE (VELCRO) FROM THE THOR FACTORY. VELCRO ADHESIVE HAD MELTED AND FLOOR SUPPORT COVERS DISLODGED ONCE COACH WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM LOT. COACH HAD BEEN ON DEALER'S LOT FOR 12 MONTHS BEFORE OUR PURCHASE. EXCESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY DEGRADED VELCRO ABILITY TO HOLD THE THREE POUND FRAME PROTECTION IN PLACE. REPORTED ISSUE TO RV DEALER AND THEY ATTEMPTED REPAIR. REPAIR NOT ACCEPTABLE. OWNER DRILLED THROUGH VINYL COVER AND WOOD STRUCTURE INTO STEEL BRACE TO SECURE BRACE COVER. INSTALLED VINYL BUTTONS FOR DRESS. SCARY, SCARY EPISODE. ALL THOR COACHES MUST BE INSPECTED - DEATH OR INJURY COULD OCCUR. VELCRO TAPES MUST BE REPLACED WITH VALID FASTENERS.