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Old 11-24-2014, 03:29 AM   #1
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Brand: Still Looking
State: North Carolina
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THOR #1332
Purchase options...Suggestions please

Hello,

My wife and I are considering a Thor Vegas/Axis after touring the Vegas on a local dealer's lot twice. We have looked at other Class C and A models and the 24.1 fits our needs. I've seen posts around the web where people picked theirs up for $67-$68K on the lowest end; some were good deals at RV Shows. (Our dealer is at $70k with a "show special" and all possible discounts.) There is a Route 66 Warranty that he highly suggests that I buy with it for around $2K.

I'm in NC and was thinking about waiting until January for the 3 RV shows around the state to shop then. Tonight I found a link to RVDirect.com and their quote came back at $66,580 picking it up in Albany NY. I'm comparing apples to apples feature wise.

My questions are:
- Has anyone else purchased from RVDirect.com? How was the service, if any? Which location did you pick up from; Orlando FL or Albany NY?
- I assume that my service from the local Thor dealer if I don't buy from them may not be great? Is that a safe bet? Anyone run into that issue? I will share the RVDirect.com quote and offer then a fair chance to match it.
- What are your thoughts on the Route 66 program? Should I consider it or an alternative?
- I've never bought a vehicle out of state; is there any disadvantes I should consider? (I believe I register it in my own state and use Temp tags to get here. And, I'd pay NC taxes, not those of the state I buy in?)

What am I not considering or asking?

Thanks for our help!
Brandon

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Old 11-24-2014, 11:55 AM   #2
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One thing you will find with dealership service departments, even if you buy the coach from them, are that some are borderline incompetent. So in my view, if you do find a good dealership that will perform service quickly, or will actually repair any minor defects prior to you accepting delivery, it is well worth an extra $1~2k in price.

All RVs need some adjustment or minor fixes (hopefully not major) from the factory upon delivery, and the better operations will take care of those issues prior to delivery. The lower grade dealerships just want to move coaches, and will not do anything until you complain. You want to avoid those dealers.

There are some horror stories about folks that have had their RV at a dealership for months for warranty service. That is pure incompetence in my view of a dealer's operation - unless of course they are having issues with the factory. Then that would be excusable.

But the ability to determine if a particular dealership is outstanding or the proverbial "fly-by-night" operation is perhaps harder than picking out your brand/model coach you want to buy.

One thing though, and this is generally true for a vehicle dealership as well as a RV or any other dealership. The more they push "extras"; that is, extended warranties, service plans, upholstery, roof, tire treatments and the like, the more shady I would consider the dealership, as most of this stuff is pure profit for the dealer.

If they are just mentioning the extended warranty - fine, they all do that. But the more they "push" it, the more you should avoid the dealer.
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Old 11-25-2014, 03:33 AM   #3
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THOR #1332
Wink Appreciate your feedback!

Thanks for your comments and advice; I appreciate it!

Brandon
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Old 11-27-2014, 01:59 AM   #4
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obxfshn,
I hope you have looked at other coaches before making your final decision on a Thor.
If you go with Thor make sure you check it out very very well before signing on the dotted line otherwise it will be in the shop more time than you will get to use it.
Layouts are great but Q/C is horrible.
Good Luck
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Old 11-27-2014, 12:12 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ratboy46
I hope you have looked at other coaches before making your final decision on a Thor.
If you go with Thor make sure you check it out very very well before signing on the dotted line otherwise it will be in the shop more time than you will get to use it.
Layouts are great but Q/C is horrible.
I find this odd: In that everyone is complaining about Thor quality except the Axis owners (I haven't seen any Vegas owners post). Even when I search around irv2 I don't find anyone with quite the problems of all the other Thor owners. Sure there are a couple of quibbles but nothing like being stuck in a campground with the slide out and unable to retract!
Especially considering 2014 was the first model year of the Axis/Vegas units! I'd expect the most complaints about it. (Heck even some family members were surprised when we told them it was a Thor--they had just got rid of their Thor 5th wheel due to quality issues.)
Perhaps all the Thor Q/C people are checking the Axis/Vega units for the initial launch and then once they go "mainstream" like the rest of the line the Q/C guys will go back on vacation...don't know..
Or perhaps its the dealers that are initially selling them giving them a final Q/C check before they go out the door (assuming there are some good dealers)--although I suspect this isn't always the case as Camping World does sell them and most of the complaints around here of the dealers not being very good are Camping World dealers.
Or perhaps there isn't enough Axis/Vegas units out in the wild yet for Thor to let the few lemons slip through...
To be fair there must be some happy Thor owners out there--they wouldn't be in business long if they all were crap (nor would the dealers for that matter).
Ok here is someone complaining about the Vegas quality on irv2:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/thor...ml#post1770871
Note that they didn't purchase it just noted the crappy quality from seeing them at an RV show.
Now that I've posted this I'm sure I jinxed myself and our camper will simply fall to pieces the next time we go to use it LOL.
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Old 11-28-2014, 01:56 AM   #6
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Still in decision mode...

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post
I find this odd: In that everyone is complaining about Thor quality except the Axis owners (I haven't seen any Vegas owners post). Even when I search around irv2 I don't find anyone with quite the problems of all the other Thor owners. Sure there are a couple of quibbles but nothing like being stuck in a campground with the slide out and unable to retract!
Especially considering 2014 was the first model year of the Axis/Vegas units! I'd expect the most complaints about it. (Heck even some family members were surprised when we told them it was a Thor--they had just got rid of their Thor 5th wheel due to quality issues.)
Perhaps all the Thor Q/C people are checking the Axis/Vega units for the initial launch and then once they go "mainstream" like the rest of the line the Q/C guys will go back on vacation...don't know..
Or perhaps its the dealers that are initially selling them giving them a final Q/C check before they go out the door (assuming there are some good dealers)--although I suspect this isn't always the case as Camping World does sell them and most of the complaints around here of the dealers not being very good are Camping World dealers.
Or perhaps there isn't enough Axis/Vegas units out in the wild yet for Thor to let the few lemons slip through...
To be fair there must be some happy Thor owners out there--they wouldn't be in business long if they all were crap (nor would the dealers for that matter).
Ok here is someone complaining about the Vegas quality on irv2:
thor axis? - iRV2 Forums
Note that they didn't purchase it just noted the crappy quality from seeing them at an RV show.
Now that I've posted this I'm sure I jinxed myself and our camper will simply fall to pieces the next time we go to use it LOL.
I've looked at a few models (Forest River FS3 and Winnebago Vista) and the floor plans don't appeal to me. While not entirely locked into the Thor Vista/Axis I haven't really found anything else that I like as much.

I'm confused by the comment about the quality of Axis vs Vegas models. It's my understanding that they are identical with the exception of the exterior decals/colors and the interior trim colors. Same factor, same builders. When I asked the dealer in town about them he said this allows Thor to have more dealers in closer markets; one selling Vegas and the next selling only Axis.

Happy T-Day!
Brandon
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Old 11-28-2014, 02:12 AM   #7
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I would possibly add Class C RVs to the list of Thor units having the least problems. I know they are not class A's, and while not perfect, I have had nowhere near the problems some of the Class A owners do. Still, I probably would not buy another Thor Class C.

I think (to date anyway), my biggest complaint was leaking tail lights as they can cause water damage. The other defects are annoying, but minor.

I think the biggest major complaint I have seen on this forum are slide out issues - especially with the long ones. So one thing to avoid might be those.

Possibly consider floorplans having 1, 2, or more smaller/shorter slideouts than one large one.

Driveability at highway speeds seems to be the second most serious complaint. I did talk to my local Ford dealership about the swaying even of my Class C - which is tolerable, but hopefully can be improved. While most of their sales are cars, they also specialize in medium size trucks; RVs, delivery vans, etc. And they have a lift that can handle my RV.

The service manager told me that they also get a lot of complaints from owners of delivery vans about wandering all over the road, so it's just not Thor or RVs.

I think the major problem is the typical body installer, whether it be a RV, ambulance, or delivery van, the body manufacturer does not have the engineering expertise to setup the vehicle so that it is easy to drive. So I think the whole custom body industry is out of whack.

Not sure about the Axis/Vegas difference, but when I toured the Class C plant, Four Winds and Chateaus were both being built on the same line, with the only difference the logo and graphics (but for the 30+ ft Class C's, you can get an upgrade package on the Chateau only).

And I asked the guide what the difference was - got the same answer - different dealers selling different brands in the same market.
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:34 AM   #8
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Yes the Axis/Vegas models are identical for the given reasons.

It does make me wonder: how are the Axis/Vegas models treated by Thor? Are they built alongside the C's (Since they have an E-350 chassis) or are they built with the A's..
According to the plant tour page:
http://thormotorcoach.com/Motorhome-...lant-Tours.php
Axis/Vegas units are built by themselves in their own plant. Hmm.
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Old 11-28-2014, 09:30 AM   #9
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Yea, I didn't see any at the "c" plant when we toured it about a year ago.

I think Thor bought the old Holiday Rambler plant when they changed hands and moved to a different city.

Not sure what they are making at that plant, if anything.
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Old 11-28-2014, 03:50 PM   #10
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We love our Axis, but preparation is good!

Brandon,

There's a (very) lengthy set of posts on our first few weeks owning our Axis here. You might find it helpful as it documents all of the quality issues we've had, among other things.

We love our Axis, but quality has been an issue. Most new coaches have their issues, and new models even more so, but Thor does seem to be worse than most. Even their new top of the line tag-axle DP the Tuscany appears to have many of the same issues.

Don't let that stop you from buying though! The Axis is perfect for us and I'm rapidly getting the kinks worked out. If you're set on an Axis buy from a good dealer and negotiate a good price.

Do a lot of research, do the walk-through BEFORE you sign paperwork, and have all of the issues you find included as "we-owe" items in the contract when you do sign. That ensures you have as good a commitment as possible that they'll get done.

Then enjoy! There's plenty of help here and elsewhere and if you're the least bit handy you'll be fine.

Regards,

Randy
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Old 12-07-2014, 07:18 AM   #11
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Great Write Up!

Quote:
Originally Posted by groswald View Post
Brandon,

There's a (very) lengthy set of posts on our first few weeks owning our Axis here. You might find it helpful as it documents all of the quality issues we've had, among other things.

We love our Axis, but quality has been an issue. Most new coaches have their issues, and new models even more so, but Thor does seem to be worse than most. Even their new top of the line tag-axle DP the Tuscany appears to have many of the same issues.

Don't let that stop you from buying though! The Axis is perfect for us and I'm rapidly getting the kinks worked out. If you're set on an Axis buy from a good dealer and negotiate a good price.

Do a lot of research, do the walk-through BEFORE you sign paperwork, and have all of the issues you find included as "we-owe" items in the contract when you do sign. That ensures you have as good a commitment as possible that they'll get done.

Then enjoy! There's plenty of help here and elsewhere and if you're the least bit handy you'll be fine.

Regards,

Randy
Great write up Randy. I just finished reading it and if/when I purchase the Vegas I'll print it out as part of my checklist!

Thanks again!
Brandon
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Old 12-14-2014, 08:43 PM   #12
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Randy

Wow, what an extensive "Owner's report" and I imagined it took some time to write. We have a deposit on a new Axis for pick up after Christmas and unlike you, I am not "handy" with these type of modifications/fixes you discussed. Also,I was wondering if we made the right decision to go with a Thor RV? I am in the Denver/Evergreen area of Colorado and wondered if you had some time for a phone call?

Ralph
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Old 12-15-2014, 03:51 AM   #13
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Ralph,

Happy to chat. I left you a PM.

Randy
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Old 12-20-2014, 03:26 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by evergreen49 View Post
Randy

Wow, what an extensive "Owner's report" and I imagined it took some time to write. We have a deposit on a new Axis for pick up after Christmas and unlike you, I am not "handy" with these type of modifications/fixes you discussed. Also,I was wondering if we made the right decision to go with a Thor RV? I am in the Denver/Evergreen area of Colorado and wondered if you had some time for a phone call?

Ralph
Hey Ralph,

I see that you're picking up your Axis after Christmas. I would really like to hear your feedback as i am probably going to order one after the RV show in Denver in January. Will be taking a look at the 24.1 and the 25.1 if Camping World has them on display. I'm also wondering if you have comments about which size would be best. I don't plan to tow a small car or anything and hope it's small enough to use as a daily driver more or less. My plan is to spend the winter's in the Texas hill country at a relatives house hooked up. I haven't seen any comments from 25.1 owners yet. Thanks. Dave
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Old 12-21-2014, 12:45 PM   #15
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I suggest not waiting until spring to take delivery. It looks like the dealers and manufacturers are already seeing huge demand for building and selling RVs due to the 40-60% drop in gas prices assuming this will continue for the next 3-6 years. If I were a dealer I would discount far less come spring. Just my opinion. Maybe we should PM?
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Old 12-21-2014, 02:59 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by evergreen49 View Post
I suggest not waiting until spring to take delivery. It looks like the dealers and manufacturers are already seeing huge demand for building and selling RVs due to the 40-60% drop in gas prices assuming this will continue for the next 3-6 years. If I were a dealer I would discount far less come spring. Just my opinion. Maybe we should PM?
Hey, thanks for the advice. if you would like to contact me by email you may do so at davideclutter@gmail.com

my situation is such that i cannot buy until maybe a couple of months into next year and the dealer in Ft. Wayne seems to be good with his prices no matter what these days. 68900 for the 25.1 with every option available. i can order any color inside or out. but i haven't seen the RV even so i'm heading to the RV show in Jan. thanks for theinput appreciate it.
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