New Forum Member - Windsport 31S

[halfprice]

The f53 does not have a rear track bar. It has a rear sway bar.

Rear track bar was the best mod i did for handling. It stopped the push i was getting from passing semi trucks.

Search chf. Its an adjustment to the front and rear sway bars. It also makes tge handling much better.

Tge blue ox true center and safety t plus are basically the same thing. Its also a good mod to do

[SuperD]

Originally Posted by Fence82246

I've read and heard also that adding a Blue-Ox True Center system and changing the shocks to Koni or Bilsteins are a must.

I've heavily modified my Jeep and some things have been "snake oil" and made no real difference in performance and drive-ability... Others have been worth every penny. Any experiences like that with the RV?

The Blue Ox is very expensive, IMHO the Safe T Plus is a better device, no electronics to fail, and a LOT less expensive.

Personally I would not change the shocks, the coach is not going to ride like a car no matter what you do. I would wait until at least 25-30,000 mile before even thinking about new shocks.

Follow Jerry's advice on suspension mods.

[Fence82246]

A friend of mine today mentioned that there is zero difference between the Hurricane and Windsport...essentially they are just sold to/through different dealers... IE you won't see a Hurricane 31S sold at the same dealership as a Windsports 31S...

Ugh. Now I'm confused.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Fence82246

A friend of mine today mentioned that there is zero difference between the Hurricane and Windsport...essentially they are just sold to/through different dealers... IE you won't see a Hurricane 31S sold at the same dealership as a Windsports 31S...

Ugh. Now I'm confused.

Yeah there a lot of "sister" brands in the Thor lineup: Axis/Vegas, Four Winds/Chateau, etc.

They do that for the reason your friend mentioned: So dealers near each other can sell similar motorhomes.

[mpinva]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Yeah there a lot of "sister" brands in the Thor lineup: Axis/Vegas, Four Winds/Chateau, etc.

They do that for the reason your friend mentioned: So dealers near each other can sell similar motorhomes.

Only difference is in fabric/trim colors/patterns and exterior colors.

[SuperD]

Originally Posted by Fence82246

A friend of mine today mentioned that there is zero difference between the Hurricane and Windsport...essentially they are just sold to/through different dealers... IE you won't see a Hurricane 31S sold at the same dealership as a Windsports 31S...

Ugh. Now I'm confused.

That is NOT true, the dealer where I purchased our coach carries both Windsport and Hurricane, also both Axis and Vegas. Sister coaches, only difference is trim.

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by Fence82246

A friend of mine today mentioned that there is zero difference between the Hurricane and Windsport...essentially they are just sold to/through different dealers... IE you won't see a Hurricane 31S sold at the same dealership as a Windsports 31S...

Ugh. Now I'm confused.

Big dealers sell all Thor MotorCoach products. Check out MHSRV or better yet stop by that have about 40 Hurricanes and Windsports on the lot or ordered. By the way, the front and rear caps are different on the coaches as are the graphics/paint schemes and interior fabrics. Only the floor plans are the same.

[Fence82246]

So it sounds like the Sister Brands/Models really just differentiate via material colors. There isn't an appreciable difference in the quality of the materials.

That being said, assuming that color choices meant very little to us, if we could find the same floor plan in a Hurricane for substantially less it would be worthwhile to do so.

[SuperD]

Originally Posted by Fence82246

So it sounds like the Sister Brands/Models really just differentiate via material colors. There isn't an appreciable difference in the quality of the materials.

That being said, assuming that color choices meant very little to us, if we could find the same floor plan in a Hurricane for substantially less it would be worthwhile to do so.

Hurricane or Windsport, you are buying essentially the same coach. Look as you said for the best deal.

[southladon]

I have a 2015 windsport 34f. Ordered from the factory in 2014. Have taken it on several major trips and a bunch of small trips. 7000 miles plus. We have gone through a number of small issue, such as step failure, trim issues, windshield wiper problems. Plenty power, handling is pretty bad out of the box. I just recently did the CHF fix, had the wheels aligned, installed a road master steering stabilizer, and also had it weighed, to properly adjust pressure for the tires. All made a massive difference. Just completed a trip to Fla, and it drove great. We've been very pleased with the unit. We have the full wall slide, without any issues except one of the power wires on a motor popped out of the plug. I regularly maintain the schwintek drive as factory directed. But also have an extra motor on hand just in case.. We 4 whee tow a Chevy Equinox and it's hardly noticeable it there. It's a shame they discontinued the full body paint option. We have it on ours and with regular waxing and a cover it looks good as new. I can't say the same for my 20 past years owning travel trailers with decals. My advice would be do plenty of home work and look for best price. Look at your dealers ratings online very closely. You will be dealing with them for duration of warranty. Things will be done wrong, and will break. Once you go through a few rounds of that. It gets pretty nice. I highly suggest an extended warranty. Our dealer provided one with the deal with no deductable And 84 months. It's pretty much already paid for itself.

Best of luck!!

[BWare]

We purchased a new '16 Windsport 31S after driving Fleetwood 34' Bounds for 28 years. We like the downsize, but there were some issues. We neglected to drive the new coach before departing the dealer, in FL. My BAD. Hadn't driven it 30 miles and realized the "scream" from the front was not normal. Drove it right back to the dealer, they caulked the front of the pax side window, to no avail. I ended up taking it to Wakarusa, IN to the repair facility, after CW in Nashville couldn't locate an "air leak". Thor folks there were very good to us as the technician found several items that the dealer in FL had not, but not the scream. Friends on a caravan related that they had experienced the same "scream" on a previous coach and inadvertently unlocked a front side window, and the scream stopped. "Wish I had known that several thousand miles before". It worked.
I've added a "steer safe" to the front and it works great. I've learned that the black holding tank contains the toilet and the sink water. The gray tank contains the shower and kitchen sink water, Yes, the indicators for the holding tanks aren't very reliable, especially the black.
We didn't like the sofa as the longer we sat it in, the more we realized we were soon nearly on our backs, due to the slick fabric. We've since changed to the "theater seats" and really like them, due mainly to the recliner feature. I think that may be an option now.
I love the F 53 V-10. I'm getting a solid 8 mpg at 1950 rpm @65 mph. My previous F53 V-10 got about 8, but 2500 rpm @ 58mph.
I'm very disappointed in the placement of the water pump, behind the kitchen cabinet, on the floor, and noisy.
I recommend you spend at least 3 nights in the dealer's lot to insure everything is working properly. A quick walk around is not enough. The salesman said there was not a remote supplied with the front entertainment system. I called the manufacturer and they sent me one.
I also just dropped (?) a jack pad at our last cg. Thankfully the cg folks called me that the folks in the site next to the one we departed found it and took it to the office. I have it and it's being installed now. All the pads are held on with a lag bolt. I checked the other three and they were not loose, but not ready to come off. I tightened each one. The rough roads jarred the locking pin for the "over the cockpit bed" loose and one came out, so it too is being repaired. I'm not trying to be negative, but just reminding you and myself to be cautious and check some items that can cause headaches, etc. Do not accept the Seiki TVs. They're BAD.
I'm convinced the design engineers do not "live nor work on" their designs.
BruceW
USAF (Ret.)