1998 Thor Dutchmen Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 Thor Dutchmen, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels250.0%
- Body & structure125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
I EXPERIENCED TWO TIRE BLOWOUTS WITHIN 200 MILES OF EACH OTHER WITH FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES. THE TIRE SIZE IS LT225/75R16, LOAD RANGE E. EACH TIRE HAD OVER 3/8'S OF AN INCH OF TREAD LEFT. THE MILEAGE ON THE TIRES WAS APPROXIMATELY 29,500. BOTH BLOWOUTS WERE THE INNER TIRE OF A DUAL REAR SET. THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IS A 1998 DUTCHMEN CLASS C MOTORHOME ON A FORD SUPER DUTY VAN CHASSIS. THE FIRST BLOWOUT WAS VERY EXPLOSIVE AND VIOLENT. THE EXPLOSION LIFTED THE REAR OF THE MOTORHOME AND CAUSED A MOMENT OF UNCONTROLLABLE SLIDING. THE BLOWOUT OCCURRED AT ABOUT 75 MPH. IT WAS A COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. THIS BLOWOUT ALSO DAMAGED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM AND UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. ON THE RETURN TRIP HOME, ABOUT 200 MILES LATER, THE OTHER INSIDE REAR TIRE BLEW. THIS BLOWOUT WAS MUCH TAMER. IT WAS A SIDEWALL SPLIT AND THE TREAD REMAINED ATTACHED. THIS BLOWOUT OCCURRED AT 65 MPH. NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE MOTORHOME OCCURRED AND MANUVERABILITY OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COMPROMISED. THE AIR PRESSURE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP WAS CHECKED - 65 FRONT, 75 REAR. BEFORE RETURNING FOR HOME, THE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AGAIN - 65 FRONT, 75 REAR. *NM
IN UTAH, YESTERDAY ABOUT 5:30 P.M., HEADING TOWARDS SALT LAKE CITY IN I-80, ABOUT 10 MILES OUT OF COALVILLE, UTAH, THE FIRESTONE STEELTEX RADIAL R4S LT225/65 R16 M/S ON THE RIGHT OUTSIDE DUALLY OF OUR 1998 CHATEAU CLASS C MOTORHOME SUFFERED A TREAD SEPARATION. THE ENTIRE TREAD CAME OFF THE TIRE. WE CALLED A TIRE STORE IN SALT LAKE THAT RECOMMENDED WE LIMP TO THE NEXT TOWN, WHICH WE DID. ABOUT 2 MILES OUT OF COALVILLE THE TIRE BLEW OUT, WE WERE GOING ABOUT 35 MPH IN THE EMERGENCY LANE, SO NOTHING MAJOR HAPPENED, OUTSIDE OF SOME DAMAGE TO THE FENDER WELL. WE HAVE 5 MORE ON THIS VEHICLE JUST LIKE THIS. THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS. THIS TIRE IS A HAZARD, AND NEED TO BE RECALLED. IF THIS HAD BEEN A FRONT TIRE, WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DEAD. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME TO THAT. ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS TIRE IS THE WORKHORSE COUNTERPART TO THE WILDERNESS TIRES THAT HAVE KILLED SO MANY ALREADY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
FRAME AND CROSS MEMBERS HAVE CRACKED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK THE TRAILER FRAME HAS MANY CRACKS, SOME OF WHICH YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH. THE WELDS HOLDING THE TOUNGUE WERE CRACKED AND THE OTHER MAJOR CRACKS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. THE THOR TAHOE TT 28FBSS TRAILER HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *GJ
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
REPORTING REAR SPRING HANGER ON FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER HAS BROKEN FROM FRAME DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART, ASKING NHTSA TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER.PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .