Camplite 17-19 21BHS, 21RBS, 23RKS and 23RLS Recall for failed drawbars.

[ADR]

That's too bad...

Looking at my 16TBS again I think I see a crack like the one I posted in the other side too- it is faint and harder to see. 
Going to play with some dye to see if I can confirm it.

I'd be very interested in seeing any pics of the 21/23 in that same area where the tongue is welded to the frame rails.  Wish I knew of one near me to look at.

It would have been so simple to weld an angled AL plate across the bottom of the marriage point between the two sizes.

Would not surprise me to see a recall eventually come on the 16's as well.  In fact I'm going to make sure the NHTSA knows about mine.

[dlb53151]

Apollo - you are spot-on.  This is not at all surprising. Thor is a publicly-held company.  They are ultimately focused on maximizing the stock price.  Erring on the side of oversimplifying this, they have 2 channels to do that - via increased pricing (without reducing volume) OR reduced cost.  The latter is generally easier especially in the short term.  Engineers are incentivized to take out every quarter nickel and penny they can, not on safety.  They have Corporate lawyers and product liability coverage with a manageable deductible to address that.  Preferred starting point is in areas that are "behind the walls and floors" where the typical customer won't notice.   Be an observer at an RV show and take note of how many people get on the ground to look underneath the trailers or the tongue area.  Very few.  Most are inside the trailers drooling like Pavlov's dog over the nice entertainment systems etc. 

Thor gobbles up companies like Livin' Lite to do cost-outs from synergies (1+1=3....).

Just look at their stock chart- stock price tripled from Jan 16 to Jan 18 and had pulled back since then due
to short sighted mismanagement which will only require more pervasive cost reductions. 


l




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[charliem]

PLEASE POST PICTURE. Can someone with a newer unit affected by the change and recall post a picture of the design problem? A picture backed off far enough  that I can see the newer design and the area of short coming. I would like to compare it to my older 21 tongue to understand the change. 

[ADR]

Below is a pic of the mod-  new 3x3 sq tube welded under existing tongue center member.

They also have the repair facility place an additional 2x4 tube on the forward side of the existing 2x4 bumper tube to accomodate some sort of spare tire mount for the rear bumper.

Haven't found a pic of the spare carrier yet...

[DavidM]

It looks like they left out the center aluminum tube in the A-frame structure. Stupid. Charlie, you have a center member right? Well that didn't come out quite right, but don't think too deeply about it . Without that member and the cross members it has much less strength. The weld cracking was probably more to do with exceding the stress on the welds than poor welding.

Thor saved a few bucks by eliminating that member but probably cost them hundreds to repair it, not to mention huge inconvenience and costs to owners.

LL really did deserve to die under Thor's ownership.

David

[charliem]

@DavidM , 
I was hoping you would weigh in on this and yes, I did have to read that second sentence twice. That said, I do have the continuous center member. It is a 3x3.5 tube unbroken from coupler to near the axles. The cross member sits on top of the longitudinal members so no butt joints under peeling stress. Thor's new design is just dumb and I'm not sure their fix accomplishes anything. @ADR 's drawing is unclear in that the left view shows a center beam extending rearward from the cross member but the right view doesn't. If the right view is correct and complete it just adds more butt welds. The added tubing should span the area at the base of the A where the cross member attaches. I now believe Thor's engineering department is only staffed by accountants and marketeers.

[Merlin]

This doesn't give me a lot of confidence in the design of my 16TBS either. If the left image in ADR's drawing is correct and the drawbar still failed, how is that different from the construction of pre-2017 trailers? Mine looks like that. This re-emphasizes the important of the cracks ADR found in the welds on his 2018 16TBS in the drawbar/frame area. Once again, I say "Ack!".

[ADR]

Guys that is not MY drawing- it is from an official Thor document. 

[charliem]

Got that. You're just the messenger. Not shooting at you.   

[Merlin]

Guys that is not MY drawing- it is from an official Thor document. 

We all knew that and appreciate your posting it.  As soon as this light snow melts off my driveway, I'm going to carefully look at those spots circled in "your" drawing. Oops, I mean the drawing you posted.

[ADR]

Yeah I'm thinking I'm going to have to remove the underbelly corrugated plastic to get a good look at ALL the welds. 
That will be messy as they sealed the penetrations with expanding foam...

As for the pic of the frame- didn't want anyone to think I was claiming "points"  for it- in fact I stole it from elsewhere

[djsamuel]

That drawing is incorrect as the two views don't match. In addition I'm sitting by my camper (2013 21BHS) as I read this and can compare. The construction of my camper is substantially better than this design. The side pieces of the a-frame are the same size as the side beams running the length of the trailer. There is no reduction in size at that joint. In addition, the center piece is one continuous beam. It does not end at the most forward traverse beam. There are also gussets where the side a-frame beams are welded to the side beams. My question is, did they really eliminate that center beam leading to the hitch? I can't tell for sure by that drawing if they are installing a center beam to the hitch or beefing up an existing center beam by adding a second beam. If there was no center beam, that is inexcusable.

[Paul]

That drawing is incorrect as the two views don't match. In addition I'm sitting by my camper (2013 21BHS) as I read this and can compare. The construction of my camper is substantially better than this design. The side pieces of the a-frame are the same size as the side beams running the length of the trailer. There is no reduction in size at that joint. In addition, the center piece is one continuous beam. It does not end at the most forward traverse beam. There are also gussets where the side a-frame beams are welded to the side beams. My question is, did they really eliminate that center beam leading to the hitch? I can't tell for sure by that drawing if they are installing a center beam to the hitch or beefing up an existing center beam by adding a second beam. If there was no center beam, that is inexcusable.

There is a center beam on mine so they must be beefing it up

[Firetruck41]

To me, it seems pretty clear that they are adding a beam for reinforcement, in the diagram.

[charliem]

There is a center beam on mine so they must be beefing it up

Paul, Does your center beam extend rearward almost to the axles? Mine (late 2013 build) has a single continuous unbroken 3x3.5 inch tube running from the coupler to near the axles. All cross members are welded to the side or top of the center beam. That's nothing like the Thor drawing. I'm still trying to understand the change they made and the fix they're proposing. Next time you're out in the cold Canadian snow take some pictures of the underside of your trailer  .