2018 THOR MOTOR COACH CHATEAU — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

The contact owned a 2018 Thor Chateau. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 45 MPH, he saw another vehicle encroaching into his lane head-on from the opposite lane. As her husband began to veer the camper to the right side of the roadway, the other vehicle sideswiped the driver’s side of the camper and the inside of the camper immediately caught on fire. The fire quickly spread throughout the camper as her husband lost complete control of the vehicle. The contact's husband was forced to exit the vehicle through the passenger’s side window. Her husband’s jacket caught on fire and he was forced to roll in the snow to put out the flames. Her husband was taken to the hospital and treated for second-degree burns to his left hand and scalp. The jaws of life had to be used to extract the other driver from his vehicle and he was also taken to the hospital and treated for multiple fractures. The fire department and police department were called to the scene and the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire and police report were filed. The accident had remained under investigation and the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 12,400.

The contact owned a 2018 Thor Chateau. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 45 MPH, he saw another vehicle encroaching into his lane head-on from the opposite lane. As her husband began to veer the camper to the right side of the roadway, the other vehicle sideswiped the driver’s side of the camper and the inside of the camper immediately caught on fire. The fire quickly spread throughout the camper as her husband lost complete control of the vehicle. The contact's husband was forced to exit the vehicle through the passenger’s side window. Her husband’s jacket caught on fire and he was forced to roll in the snow to put out the flames. Her husband was taken to the hospital and treated for second-degree burns to his left hand and scalp. The jaws of life had to be used to extract the other driver from his vehicle and he was also taken to the hospital and treated for multiple fractures. The fire department and police department were called to the scene and the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire and police report were filed. The accident had remained under investigation and the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 12,400.

The contact owned a 2018 Thor Chateau. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 45 MPH, he saw another vehicle encroaching into his lane head-on from the opposite lane. As her husband began to veer the camper to the right side of the roadway, the other vehicle sideswiped the driver’s side of the camper and the inside of the camper immediately caught on fire. The fire quickly spread throughout the camper as her husband lost complete control of the vehicle. The contact's husband was forced to exit the vehicle through the passenger’s side window. Her husband’s jacket caught on fire and he was forced to roll in the snow to put out the flames. Her husband was taken to the hospital and treated for second-degree burns to his left hand and scalp. The jaws of life had to be used to extract the other driver from his vehicle and he was also taken to the hospital and treated for multiple fractures. The fire department and police department were called to the scene and the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire and police report were filed. The accident had remained under investigation and the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined. The vehicle was towed to a junkyard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 12,400.

ON AUGUST 12, 2020, I WAS DRIVING HWY 330 TO BIG BEAR LAKE, CA, WHEN A SMALL FIRE OCCURRED IN MY 2018 THOR CHATEAU. MY WIFE AND I FIRST NOTICED THE SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC. SHE INVESTIGATED THE INTERIOR OF THE RV WHILE I SEARCHED FOR A SAFE TURN-OUT OFF THE HIGHWAY. SHE EVENTUALLY SAW SMOKE FLOWING FROM THE REAR OF THE RV. WITHIN FOUR MINUTES WE WERE OFF THE HIGHWAY AND DISCOVERED SMOKE COMING FROM A PASSENGER-SIDE COMPARTMENT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE EXHAUST EXIT PIPE. UPON OPENING THE COMPARTMENT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE EXHAUST EXIT PIPE HAD MELTED THE PLASTIC STORAGE COMPARTMENT AND WAS ALSO BURNING THE CONTENTS OF THE COMPARTMENT. I QUICKLY REMOVED THE REMAINING CONTENTS AND WAS PREPARED TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT THE FIRE SUBSIDED ONCE THE SMOLDERING ITEMS WERE REMOVED. THE EXHAUST EXIT PIPE SITS ABOUT 2 INCHES BELOW THE PLASTIC STORAGE BOX YET THERE IS NOT A HEAT SHIELD IN PLACE. IT WAS CLEARLY THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. I HAVE PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED AND ALSO OF THE DAMAGED PROPERTY. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE IN 2016 YET THOR IS STILL PRODUCING AND SELLING RVS WITH THE SAME ISSUE AT LEAST UP UNTIL THE MANUFACTURE DATE OF MY PARTICULAR 2018 THOR CHATEAU RV. *DT*JB*DT*AS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 THOR CHATEAU RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RV WAS PLACED IN STORAGE FOR THREE MONTHS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PROPANE TANK LEAKED PROPANE FUEL. THE RV WAS TAKEN TO GANDER RV AND OUTDOORS OF BARTOW LOCATED AT 203 BARTOW 7400 STATE RD 60 EAST, BARTOW, FL 33830 TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PROPANE LINES WERE SEVERED BY THE REAR SPRING STRAP HANGERS. THE RV WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,000.*DT*JB