Customer Reviews The North Face Rolling Thunder 30"

Scuba gear, long haul travel. Bottom shell detached from upper creating open holes on corner within first use. not the same quality. Customer service was of no help.

This item does not hold up well to constant travel over time. I only got 2 1/2 to 3 years for a product that claims to have a lifetime warranty.

Do not buy. Very cheap compared to similarly priced luggage, such as the Thule Chasm which I purchased after I returned this. Also, the 36" size is OVERSIZED for virtually all airline checked bag requirements, so it will cost you to check this.....Dearly. Bottom line, very cheaply constructed, too big. Buy the Thule Chasm. Much much better bag.

Collapsible handle started to be sticky, and had trouble going up or down after 3 months. After 6 months it won't go up anymore, and I've tried everything. The plastic undercarriage cracked too.

Was very happy with it until I traveled to San Antonio had some rain on the way there. My clothes where wet, I bought this because It was "water proof ". I am very disappointed and have no use for it now.

They should have never changed the design. I have a Rolling Thunder 30 that I bought in 2015 that has withstood weekly air travel. It was eventually punctured but this was no fault of the bag. Fast forward to May of 2021 and I purchased the updated design. It lasted four months of weekly air travel until the wheel assembly broke. It's cheap plastic and something hit it which caused the assembly to deform and a screw to strip out. Moving the wheels to the outside corners was a bad decision. They were previously inboard which protected them. There's also multiple spots where the seams are ripping away from the bottom tub. The handle rattles constantly when extended. There's two interior supports that slip into fabric loops. These routinely come dislodged during a flight. They then dig into the bottom tub and rip up any clothing that's close by. The interior straps aren't in ideal locations either. My biggest complaint is the lack of customer service. I was forced to ship the bag back for service. Which cost 1/3 the MSRP. W/ Pelican you can send them pics of the damage and if it's something like a broken wheel they will send you a new one free of charge. I was only asking for a new wheel assembly. This will be my last NF luggage purchase. It's inexcusable in this day and age to have to send everything in, at your expense, for warranty service. And you're w/out your item for at least eight weeks. For business travelers this is a major problem. They had a previous design that was extremely rugged and held up to weekly air travel for six years. It was the airlines that killed it. Accountants killed the new design by making a "cheaper" product that's inferior in pretty much every way. Sad day for The North Face as their reputation has become almost wholly as a fashion brand

Normally our go to bag of choice. Multiple Rolling Thunder bags have been used as dive bags on long haul flights, 6-8 months annually. The latest version has a design change with a hard shell bottom. The seams are unraveling after 3 domestic flights and a hole where the fabric meets the shell. Additionally, interior metal frames are slightly short and dislodge in transit which has punctured contents packed inside. The quality has vastly degraded from previous Rolling Thunder.

Expected much better quality and customer service from TNF. The screws came out of the retractable handle the first time I used the luggage. The warranty department wanted the bag mailed in for an assessment and possible repair. It would be helpful to know what size the screw is so I can replace it since TNF does not share that information with their customer service representatives. Highly disappointed and will no longer purchase luggage from a company with such poor customer service.

I use this bag to travel with work, and after a flight discovered that the frame had broke. Contacted TNF and they provided zero warranty support.

My parents gave me this bag. My previous similar Northface bag finally wore out after several years of reliable service. I packed my new bag for a trip. It was quite roomy and far from being full. None of my gear was particularly heavy or hard, mostly clothes. When I got to the airport, (an uneventful 1 hour journey over smooth paved highway roads) I saw that the base plastic had a large crack. Obviously I used the bag for my trip rather than canceling my flight to return it unused and defective. So now I'm stuck with it. It also became seriously scuffed on the top plastic after just 1 flight. I know the airlines can be rough on luggage, but it wasn't looking that much better than the bag I wore out.

The steel rods that give this bag structure pop out four out of five trips. Strap clip sections are micro-thin and break. Packing is awkward due to design,

A little on the heavier side to start. It didn't last 2 trips before the red button on the handle broke and fell off, making retracting the handle a two hand job. It would be nice to "never stop exploring" like the handle says, but this bag needs some work. All I did with it was use it as my carry on, and it fell apart on me. My buddy bought the same bag and cracked a wheel the first time he took it out too.

I am reading some of these reviews and people mention torn seams And handles coming loose .After about 7 trips I saw that the plastic tub base was cracked open . Luckily I was home . It seemed that the wheel was going to come loose if I tried rolling it . This would have been screwed if I was just starting a trip . Basically the structure of the bag was broken . As others have mentioned -we paid a lot $$$ for what we thought was the best bag we could get . I sent it into north face and they gave me a credit that I have to use at their store or website . But it's not enough $$$ to Cover the cost of a new suitcase of the same size 36". Which I need for the upcoming ski season . They are $100 short . So am I now supposed to pay another $100 for this bag that has so many flaws as I am reading in reviews here ? I guess I can get a jacket or something that I don't really need.. but what do I do For a suitcase ? North face should get a better manufacturer to Make their cases . We rely on their quality .

I travel at least twice a month on business travel. I purchased a smaller double roller North Face travel bag in 2007 that I still use today for 1-3 day trips - Great product. I purchased the Rolling Thunder 2 years ago for trips 3-5 days. Storage size is good, pockets, zippers and compartments are all great and the shell is a durable product. However, from day 1 I could tell the handle was cheaply built/designed and not going to last the test of time and last month I just opened it up to drag through the airport and the handle snapped where it connects to the extenders. I own 6 other North Face bags, numerous coats/vests and tons of other NF apparel because the quality is exceptional. This product is not and moreover when I contacted customer service (via text) they basically said we'll let our techs know and blew off a loyal North Face customer. I just purchased the Osprey Ozone 42L and looking forward to see if this will give me more longevity than 2 years.

Used for adventure travel - sailing. This looked like a tough and practical bag. I took it on one trip. I liked the design, pockets, and tough materials, and the fact that you could detach the metal brace to fold the bottom and stow on a sailboat. However, when the bag is packed and through normal handling, the metal brace ends detach by themselves from the loops inside and just hang loose in the bag. It is a two-person job to put the brace back in place. Additionally, the brace has sharp metal ends that could damage your clothes or pierce the bag itself. I read other reviews that mention this. I chatted with customer service and they say they never heard of this, so I assume The North Face pays little attention to reviews. The customer service person had a cavalier attitude about the whole thing, and he told me I could have a North Face store send it in, wait, and they'll probably just send it back to me. It's a shame, because this seems to be a nice bag otherwise. Fortunately, I bought the bag at a retailer that is way more customer-service oriented. Too bad I will need to return this bag because of this obvious design flaw.

I was initially impressed by the bag bailed on the seemingly quality built bag. I paid enough for it, and travel a lot, so I was looking for something that would last me a good while. The rolling "feel" of the bag is very nice, although I'm sure a lot of this contributes to the increased empty weight of the bag. THE UGLY I traveled 2 times on the airline with this bag. On the second time it arrived with one of the plastic corners smashed in. I was extremely bummed at having spent the money I did only to have it last 2 trips. What is also bad, is after looking into the so-called "lifetime warranty" I have to pay for round trip shipping to send the bag in, and they will repair it for a fee. A company as big as The North Face should do better by their customers by covering this kind of thing.

In the past Ive used North Face rolling duffels for long-term travel, 6-8 months at a time, for years. The bags lasted and lasted, with terrific wheels that did not fall apart even on rough cobblestone; nearly indestructible exteriors; reasonably lightweight (especially an earlier model they no longer make); and, my favorite feature, a solid, lightweight, well-constructed aluminum handle. I went to the store the other night to pick up a new one, and left wondering if Id ever buy a North Face bag again. The Rolling Thunder has been redesigned within the last year (or two?). The wheels look less svelte; the exterior now boasts a semi-hard back that is made of what seems to be cheaper plastic that does not look durable; and the handlethe handle is awful. It bowed when I opened it (the old handles were like a rod that could endure all kinds of situations). I would not expect it to last. The handle release buttons could not be easily operated with one hand, which I think would make the kind of adventure, long-haul travel I do solo, with a pack on my back as well, very difficult. And they stuck! I was so disappointed. Bring back the build quality, North Face, and Ill return. Otherwise Im defecting to other brands that have kept the integrity. Sorry.

In the past Ive used North Face rolling duffels for long-term travel, 6-8 months at a time, for years. The bags lasted and lasted, with terrific wheels that did not fall apart even on rough cobblestone; nearly indestructible exteriors; reasonably lightweight (especially an earlier model they no longer make); and, my favorite feature, a solid, lightweight, well-constructed aluminum handle. I went to the store the other night to pick up a new one, and left wondering if Id ever buy a North Face bag again. The Rolling Thunder has been redesigned within the last year (or two?). The wheels look less svelte; the exterior now boasts a semi-hard back that is made of what seems to be cheaper plastic that does not look durable; and the handle-the handle is awful. It bowed when I opened it (the old handles were like a rod that could endure all kinds of situations). I would not expect it to last. The handle release buttons could not be easily operated with one hand, which I think would make the kind of adventure, long-haul travel I do solo, with a pack on my back as well, very difficult. And they stuck! I was so disappointed. Bring back the build quality, North Face, and Ill return. Otherwise Im defecting to other brands that have kept the integrity. Sorry.

I bought the rolling thunder and after one plane trip the hard base of the bag was cracked, the handle black paint damaged and the two inside metal sticks holding the structure couldn t stay in their assigned fit. Not recommended for heavy travellers.

Purchased The North Face Rolling Thunder - 22 TNF Black April-2016 (model #CO95JK3-OS) after the first year it started to rip at the seam next to the main compartment zipper (see photo). Does anyone know if this is a covered warranty?

Not a fan of the recent update. First the pros, the wheels are super rugged and will go over practically anything - good improvement over last version. The outer material (the front side) is of typical North Face quality, very durable and tough. However, the decision to make it a hard-case back is a huge step backwards and in my opinion will not last long-term. You can see other reviewers already having problems with it; breaking off from wheel wells, excessively worn out corners... The handle is also very bulky and generally not as cool looking as the last one. North Face, please bring back the old version!

Just one trip and seam ripped open

I am extremely disappointed in this purchase. I have purchased many other items from North Face--other luggage, coats, clothing etc. & they have always been of the highest quality. I have never experienced such poor quality from North Face until now. After one use & I haven't even returned, it looks like it has been used for ten years. This piece of luggage is very disappointing. This is not normal wear & tear. Do not purchase it.

Top part of the bag is good quality. The bottom part is a hard shell - unfortunately it cracked open on the first trip. I have the previous version, with a nylon/cordura bottom which I feel is better suited for checked baggage.

I bought this bag and loved how it looked. Before my first trip with it the wheel broke. I sent it in for repair after 7 weeks they sent me an e-gift card because they couldn't fix the bag. The gift card doesn't cover the cost of a new bag.