We recently purchased a thor 38mb. I have never been so disappointed and upset. We had to take it back the week after we got it for numrous repairs.. then we headed out for our first long trip. You can not drive it down the road due to swaying and to much play in the steering. This is just one of many issues we have encountered in the 2 months we have had it. We had ac issues. Mini blinds in garage fall off the wall. Front bunk out of alignment. Left blinker camera stopped working. It is so upsetting to spend so much money and have constant problems. I see from comments on the forum we are not the only ones. The handling issue must be fixed. Does anyone have a 38mb that can give possible solution. Thanks
Hello Hollywood1 - I have a 2019 Thor Outlaw 38MB and would be happy to share some of my experiences. Your post title stated "stability issues" so let me see if I can shed some light on this particular subject. I have owned two Outlaws, a 2017 BG and 2019 MB. They both required chassis modifications to improve drive ability and it is indeed a process to get to a point of satisfaction. Sway and steering play are frequently discussed among owners of the F-53 chassis and especially with the toy hauler configuration. One thing that I learned before purchasing my first one was the front end will need an alignment right off the bat. The Ford chassis when delivered to Thor was factory aligned however things change dramatically once the rest of the coach is built. My dealer threw in an alignment for me in my deal which I noticed made a difference on my first outing as compared to my test drive. Unfortunately it did not solve all of the steer wandering and sway issues so I began to investigate things further. The next thing that I discovered was several owners found improvement by installing a steering stabilizer. This combined with a good alignment and of course proper tire pressure was said to improve things even more. Sure enough after I had one installed I noticed when semi's blew by me or when there was a crosswind I wasn't fighting it as much. With a full tank of gas, weight in the garage from a golf cart or motorcycle and fresh water tank at least half full I felt like I was finally getting somewhere as far as enjoying the driving but in all honesty I was still searching for even better ride. When the 38MB came out I was one of the first in line to get one because I wanted the interior layout so traded in the 2017. I knew that Thor hadn't really changed anything to improve drive ability but I really wanted the unit so I prepared myself to start the quest all over again. Here is what I have done so far on my 2019 to improve the ride:
Front End alignment
Safety Steer Steering stabilizer
Sumo Springs front and rear (by Safety Steer)
Front Radius Rods by Safety Steer
Koni Shocks front and rear
100psi front and rear
Note: The Sumo's helped a lot with keeping the coach upright in turns. Over bumps in the road there is less suspension travel so less bouncing as well. The Radius Rods are something new and I just had them installed . They made a big difference with front end sway and stiffened up the front even more than what the Sumo's can do. The Koni's really help to absorb road irregularities and add stability all the way around.
What I had hoped that I could do is add a Trak bar to the rear however haven't found anyone that makes it for my unit. If I had that I would rest in peace but for now I am ok with what I have done. One additional item that I added was a 5 Star Tune. This has nothing to do with stability or steering but it vastly improved the transmission shifting pattern and increased horsepower as well. You will notice the value when driving up a hill as the trans will not downshift and scream at you. In addition the trans acts like an engine brake when slowing down so more braking confidence. Recently I got set up to flat tow my 2019 Ford Ranger and lo and behold a little more stability gained with that weight behind my tail.
I won't go into the extensive list of warranty repairs needed after delivery of both of my units but let me assure you I had my disappointments. On my second purchase it was a little better since I had been more watchful during my PDI so I didn't have as much to contend with when I brought it home and had a shake down cruise behind me. What kept me sane was knowing that it wasn't just me experiencing these things because the more I spoke to fellow RV'ers and the more I read in forums the more I realized that many were in the same boat so to speak and it doesn't seem to matter how much you spend on a new unit there is bound to be some bugs to work out.
Here's hoping that you reach a level of enjoyment with your 38 MB . Good luck with everything and safe travels to you!
