After paying out-of-pocket to repair the hydraulic system on his three-year-old motorhome, Illinois Good Sam member Richard Tribble Jr. sought reimbursement on the grounds that the manufacturer had wired it improperly. When the costs weren’t recovered, Tribble asked Good Sam’s consumer advocacy program, Action Line, to help:
I purchased a 2011 Thor Windsport 31D class A motorhome in July 2010, and we’ve encountered continuous problems with low voltage to the Lippert hydraulic control panel that operates the jacks and slides. On our last outing in May 2013, the hydraulic pump burned up.
Conversations with Thor Motor Coach, Lippert and my hydraulic specialist revealed that Thor had wired the pump directly to the battery without the required bus breaker. Further investigation revealed that they had wired it to the house batteries instead of the chassis battery, as instructed by Lippert.
I had the system repaired at a cost of $1,286.51, and it’s working exactly as Lippert said it should—no low voltage. After I sent a request for reimbursement to Thor, I received two phone calls. On the second one, the Thor representative informed me that since I was out of warranty Thor wasn’t gong to cover the cost of repairs. When I told him this was never a warranty issue but was about improper wiring that resulted in significant damage, he responded that Thor had wired thousands of Windsports the same way, and no one had reported a problem.
I’m asking Good Sam’s Action Line if they can get Thor to cover the expenses since the damages were the result of the pump’s power source not being wired correctly. Any assistance you can give will be greatly appreciated.
After Action Line petitioned Thor on Richard Tribble’s behalf, we received the following note from Tribble:
Thor finally relented and is reimbursing me for the cost of repairs.
Since 1981, the Good Sam Club’s Action Line has helped resolve thousands of disputes between members and businesses. If you have an RV-related consumer issue and would like assistance from Good Sam, contact Action Line.
