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Old 04-21-2019, 04:45 AM   #1
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Brand: Still Looking
State: Arizona
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THOR #15072
Looking to buy a used class c, PLEASE HELP

Hi everyone and I hope you can help me understand what I'm looking at and Identify if I am over reacting.

So we are looking at buying a 2017 Thor Four Winds 23U with the ford . We went to the dealer again today to test drive this rig and see if it was right for us. We took it out on a 20 mile test drive the wife drove it and thought it wasn't to big for her and she liked the floor plan.

We went inside started paperwork got the numbers and we were OK so we put a down payment on it and was going to go home and make a phone call to Navy Federal and USAA to see if they can do for us on financing.

I said to the wife let me take some pictures of it so we can talk about it tonight. while taking pictures I realized that the ladder had a bend in it at about the 2nd from the top step. so I laughed with the wife looks like the previous owner must of backed into a branch or something cause the rest of the camper looked fine.

After I got down I realized that the bumper was a little crooked about 1/2 to maybe an inch closer to the camper on the passengers side than the drivers side. the bumper it self looked fine no repaint, and no major dings in it. I decided to take a closer look at the rig and all of the fiberglass looked fine no cracks a few minor scratches on the stickers, but nothing to red flag me.

Now this is where I think I have a problem, while I was looking at the passengers rear wheel well I noticed the wheel was off center like maybe an inch farther forward from center. It was kind of hard to tell but when i put my fingers there I had about 3 fingers of spacing behind the wheel and about 2 fingers of spacing in front of the wheel.

I went over to the drivers side and noticed it was the opposite about 3 fingers of spacing in front of the wheel to front the fender and about 2 fingers of spacing to the rear of the wheel well.

Now here is my dilemma starts and I need your help.

1. Whats the odds that the fit and finish by Thor being off by that much and the wheels are OK?

2. If the wheels are crooked / out of alignment can this be repaired?

3. Would a Car-fax show me something? Do RV's get reported / show up on Car-fax?

4. Should I run away from this RV?

If you can please help me out maybe let me know if your RV doesn't have the wheel centered either would really help make me feel better,

thank you in advance
Jason




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Old 04-21-2019, 12:46 PM   #2
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Model: 2016 Thor Outlaw 29H
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On our class C, one rear set of duals appears slightly off center, as compared to the other.
Having been under it, I did not see anything suspension wise to worry about, and it drives & tracks down the road just fine.
I believe the Thor folks mis-aligned it some upon assembly.
You will need to look for yourself for frame/suspension mounting damage.
Since it drove good for you, and you didn't feel driveshaft vibrations, it's likely just fine.
If the rear bumper & ladder damage were enough to shift the body, that in itself, would have been enough to not overlook.
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Old 04-21-2019, 12:49 PM   #3
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Welcome to the forum!
I think I can address #1 & #2.
#1) Yes, I think the tires could be sitting differently from side to side from the factory. I haven't measured, but my tires appear to "not be centered in the wheel well".
#2) Yes, having a 4 wheel alignment (in this case 6) will show a rear axle that is out of alignment and can be adjusted. Hope this helps.
And, use the minor damage as a negotiating point for lower price and/or some free accessories.
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Old 04-21-2019, 01:01 PM   #4
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No one here is qualified or can possibly tell you anything about that rig from what you're describing. It needs to ne inspected by a professional.
Spend the few bucks it'll cost to have a qualified RV mechanic or body/chassis specialist look over the rig.
You'll feel better and you'll know where you stand with this rig before you make the final commitment.
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Old 04-21-2019, 01:23 PM   #5
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So many out there for sale. I would Run & Re-group... Let them pay for an inspection satisfying your questions. Run.
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Old 04-21-2019, 02:01 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by revjeffrey View Post
So many out there for sale. I would Run & Reproup... Let them pay for an inspection satisfying your questions. Run.
I think I agree. Let them pay for inspection by someone of your choice.
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Old 04-21-2019, 02:19 PM   #7
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That would definitely be the best outcome but after 30+ years buying RV's, I've never had a single dealer willing to foot the bill for that service.
They'll all tell you they are quite capable of doing their own inspections but welcome outside inspections if the potential customer is willing to cover the cost.
I've paid for a few inspections and have always come out ahead as I've either gotten bargaining chips from the report or the peace of mind that comes with a complete vehicle assessment.
Either, way, a serious buyer should be more than willing to pay for an independent inspection as part of their due diligence. Shelling out $200-$300 for an investment of $30K, $40K, $100k.... is always money well spent. Only a fool buys blindly and when they do, they usually get what they deserve.
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Old 04-21-2019, 02:42 PM   #8
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I agree with Thor-Machine. Take it to a mechanic you trust and let him look it over. That’s a good idea in any case. I backed my first Class C into a concrete wall turning it around and bent the passenger side bracket in a little so the bumper was not straight. It did not hurt the coach. Also agree that Thor build could be off so that the wheels do not seem to sit straight. If the rest of the coach is OK and you really like it, it seems very worthwhile to get it checked out by a reputable mechanic. If it checks out OK you will be better off than buying something else and not having it thoroughly checked. Also, if it checks out, make an offer that reflects the damage and tell them why. It might pay for your check out.
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Old 04-21-2019, 06:21 PM   #9
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THOR #15072
Thank you so much for everyone's help

I really appreciate all of everyone insight. Just like I thought everyone here gave me really great feed back and I cant say Thank You enough.

My wife and I agree the dealer probable wont want to spend the money to have this one verified somewhere else so we are going to pass on this one and keep shopping "revjeffrey" may have the safest advice "So many out there for sale. I would Run & Re-group." Kind of hard to argue with this logic.

Thank you so much to everyone's help. I thought I looked it over in the beginning and maybe trusted the dealer to much before. I will need to take my time on the next one and find a qualified place to perform an independent inspection.
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Old 04-21-2019, 07:03 PM   #10
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Looking to buy a used class c, PLEASE HELP

I’ve got an Outlaw 29H that I bought new and there is definitely a difference in clearance of the rear wheels from one side to another.

I know someone else on here went with a larger rear tire and on one side it was close to rubbing compared to the other side on the same model.

That being said, it is a significant purchase and as others have said it is worth the expense of an inspection if you feel you are not capable / qualified to identify significant issues that could cost you later.
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Old 04-21-2019, 08:00 PM   #11
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Welcome to the Forum!
There's more than plenty of used RVs out there: the right one is waiting for you!
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Old 04-22-2019, 01:26 AM   #12
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Great comments from your new friends here on the forum. I won't repeat, but would mention that a corner bed would be a deal breaker for us.

The best suggestion I have for a first time buyer is to rent before you buy. You'll learn a lot and maybe modify your wish list.
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Old 04-22-2019, 02:36 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine View Post
Great comments from your new friends here on the forum. I won't repeat, but would mention that a corner bed would be a deal breaker for us.

The best suggestion I have for a first time buyer is to rent before you buy. You'll learn a lot and maybe modify your wish list.
2nd what he said Whoever is going to make up and/change the corner bed sheets check it thoroughly before purchase. Corner beds are a beast IMHO.
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Old 04-22-2019, 02:48 AM   #14
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THOR #14807
Tips & tricks

Regarding corner beds...or any RV bed for that matter.

Roll out a bed roll or sleeping bag.
Stays put without tucking & works great.


Happy glamping!
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Old 04-23-2019, 01:32 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by Thor-Machine View Post
Regarding corner beds...or any RV bed for that matter. Roll out a bed roll or sleeping bag. Stays put without tucking & works great. Happy glamping!

That's only part of the problem. Mrs S and I don't always go to bed at the same time, and one of us always arises early. Neither of us want to crawl over a sleeping spouse, and neither of us wants the other one scrambling over us on the way to their berth. Corner bed=bad nights=bad trip for us.
Your results may vary...
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