Thor VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Adventure on Demand”
Thor Industries, Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of recreational vehicles by units, headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Founded in 1980 by Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein through the acquisition of bankrupt Airstream from Beatrice Foods, Thor has grown through 30+ acquisitions into a holding company that owns Airstream, Jayco, Keystone, Heartland, Crossroads, DRV, KZ-RV, Entegra, Newmar, Tiffin (acquired 2020 for $300M), Postle Aluminum and a network of European RV brands acquired through the 2019 $2.4 billion purchase of Erwin Hymer Group.
Thor's subsidiary brands cover every major RV segment from premium Class A motorhomes (Tiffin, Newmar, Entegra) through value-priced travel trailers (Keystone Bullet, Heartland Mallard, Jayco Jay Flight). Combined with Forest River, the two largest US RV manufacturers produce approximately 70-80% of all US RV unit sales annually. Thor's European Hymer subsidiary expands its global footprint into Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Thor Industries trades on the NYSE under THO. Recall data for every Thor-built VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Thor (or subsidiary brand) VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Thor at a glance
- Founded
- 1980
- Founders
- Wade Thompson, Peter Orthwein
- Headquarters
- Elkhart, Indiana, USA
- Stock ticker
- NYSE: THO
- World rank
- #1 RV manufacturer (after combining all subsidiaries)
- Subsidiary brands
- Airstream, Jayco, Keystone, Heartland, Tiffin, Newmar, Entegra, Hymer, others
- Acquisitions
- 30+ since 1980
- Tiffin acquisition
- $300M (2020)
- Hymer acquisition
- $2.4B (2019)
- Combined US share
- ~35-40% (vs Forest River)
Decode any Thor VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Thor dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Thor technology
Thor heritage
Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein founded Thor Industries in 1980 by acquiring Airstream from Beatrice Foods for $1.2 million. The Thor name is taken from the first letters of Thompson and Orthwein. Subsequent acquisitions of Hi-Lo (1981), General Coach (1986), Damon (1990), Komfort (1995), Four Winds International (1990s), Dutchmen (1991), Aero Coach (1995), Damon Motor Coach (1990s), Mandalay Coach (2000), Damon Mandalay (1997), Keystone (2001), Crossroads (2002), Heartland (2010), Postle Aluminum (2010), Livin Lite (2013), Jayco/Entegra (2016), Erwin Hymer Group (2019) and Tiffin Motorhomes (2020) built the modern Thor Industries portfolio.
Market position
Thor Industries operates across nearly every RV segment globally through its multi-brand strategy. Subsidiary brands (Airstream, Jayco, Keystone, Tiffin, Newmar, Entegra and others) compete against each other in some categories, allowing Thor to capture multiple price points and retail dealer networks within a single segment. The company's primary competitor is Forest River (Berkshire Hathaway), with both manufacturers producing approximately 35-40% of US RV unit sales each.
New-vehicle warranty
THOR VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick THOR VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any THOR VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Thor models (20)
Frequently asked questions
When was Thor founded and by whom?
Thor was founded in 1980 by Wade Thompson, Peter Orthwein and is headquartered in Elkhart, USA.
Where is the VIN on a Thor vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Thor models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 20 Thor nameplates. Any 17-character Thor VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Thor warranty?
Basic: Varies by subsidiary brand (1-2 years standard). Powertrain: 3 years / 36,000 miles (chassis dependent).
How to check Thor recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Thor Industries (the parent holding company that owns RV brands) — not the Thor RV brand specifically (which is a separate sub-brand of Thor Motor Coach within the parent Thor Industries holding structure).
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