2018 Vegas 27.7

[sage]

There are a couple of references to a new electric stabilizing system on the new 25.6 and 27.7 floorplans. But I haven't yet found anything that gives an idea of who makes them, how they are controlled or how they work. However, there is a new video on the 25.6 that includes a brief photo of the ?rear? legs on the ground. It's near the end of the video with maybe a minute and a half left. They look something like the jacks on a fifth wheel. But I still haven't found anything that gives any idea of how they are controlled or deployed.

[DocMike]

Jackdog or Locknut,

The specs seem to hint that the 27.7 has some type of leveling system. Does it and if so how does it work? Also what is the manufacture or the actual name of the system.

We are holding out to actually see a 27.7 in person (and climb around and under it) but it looks a lot like the future upgrade from our 24.1 (even with the almost 50% reduction in outside storage).

Doc

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by sage

I bought my 2016 Vegas 25.2 back in March, '17 and if I had known the 27.7 was coming I would have been tempted to wait. Now, I'm waiting for some of them to show up at local dealers so I can get up close and personal with one.

Jackldog, my biggest concern is that there's even less basement space in the 27.7 than my 25.2 (36 sq. ft vs 47). I know that you'd end up with more interior storage but things like grills and camp chairs don't work too well inside. What do you think?

The 27.7 basement storage is a problem...I think.

Give it more time...you will see an Axis/Vegas 29.1 or 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9...

It will happen...if Thor wants the product to evolve.

[karenr]

Originally Posted by sage

Metalman,

There's a video on the Thor website about the 27.7 that shows a pretty good shot of the slide - extended - and the driver's seat. Even with that slide out it looks like you're not going to push that seat back very far.

I have the axis 25.5 and live the space but I too would have loved 2 slides. Wide ring how much you think you will lose on the trade as I'm thinking about it too?

[sage]

This is a screen grab that I did from a video on the Thor site, reviewing the 25.6. According to a sale person from CW Thor is using the Lippert LevelUp system, so working from this photo, I'm guessing that they mean the Lippert Power Stabilizing Jacks

https://www.lci1.com/power-stabilizer-jacks

I ran thru the Thor Builder system earlier today and it showed a price of $863 for the Stabilizer option. I don't know if that's a fair price for this system or not.

[sage]

Originally Posted by karenr

I have the axis 25.5 and live the space but I too would have loved 2 slides. Wide ring how much you think you will lose on the trade as I'm thinking about it too?

Karen, it's almost impossible to say. It will depend on the dealer and how well received this unit is. I'm guessing that there will be a flurry of buying when these first hit the streets as I think there's a lot of demand for something like this.

I looked hard at the 25.6 when it was announced but not having a couch at all, I just couldn't get behind that variation. But the 27.7 is a horse of a different color. It appears to have just about everything you could ask for except for the basement storage. The one other option that I'd go for is a second AC unit with 50 amp service and I'm betting you'll see something like that, if not in six months or so, then this time next year. So as much as I like the current offering, I think I'm going to wait and see what comes next.

That will make my rig that much older and add on another 10K miles or so, but so be it. I paid $62k for it and a year from now I'd guess I might get $50 tp $55 on a trade for a new one. But I could be way off, either way.

[Locknut]

Originally Posted by Metalman

Locknut,
The floor plan looks very nice. Can the driver's seat be moved fully back when driving, or does it hit the side of the slide out? I had a big problem with driver's legroom on a diesel pusher because of the left front slide out.

I was finally able to pick up the 27.7 today. It appears that there about the same amount of clearance behind the driver's seat than there was in the 25.3. I drive with the seat all the way back, and the actual space for the driver seemed to be about the same.

[Locknut]

I was finally able to take delivery of the new 27.7 today. I was scheduled to do so about a week ago, but weather and personal factors kept causing delays.

We are staying with some relatives tonight and will be home tomorrow, and I will try to start giving some detailed information on features and construction this weekend.

My very first impression has to do with the steering and handling...it seems to be very similar to the 25.3 prior to modification. I had installed a Saf-T-Plus steering stabilizer, front and rear heavy-duty sway bars, and front and rear sumo-springs on the 25.3, and it drove like a dream.

I've already ordered the parts to install on the 27.7 and will have it done this next week. For those of you that have the Ford 450 chassis, I highly recommend these modifications. I will link the needed parts in a future post when I get home.

[sage]

Some of these also apply to the new 25.6.

• Automatic retraction of the awning when winds reach 17mph
• Propane Grill attach point moved to just behind the entry door
• LED light strip over many (most?) of the interior cabinet doors
• All three TVs are now mounted on an articulated arm
• The swing down dump valve is gone

This last item may be one of the most interesting on the list. The dump valve now appears to be located in a separate compartment on the driver's side of the rig.

While one of my concerns is the amount of basement storage on this floorpan, the compartments that are there appear to be pretty large and roomy. The pass thru compartment at the very front of the rig is still there and the other two compartments on the passenger's side of the coach look to be big enough for a decent size grill. The fact that you now have easy access to the built in propane take for your grill means you don't have to transport a separate tank. The 10 sq. ft. difference in space between the 25.2 and 27.7 may be mostly in the loss of what I call the trunk of the 25.2. This is a single large compartment at the rear of the coach, under the bedroom slide.

Another interesting change is the control panel has been moved from just inside the entry door to the front of that same cabinet. The 25.2 has the thermostat and AC/Furnace control mounted in the bedroom and that has been moved to right under the control panel in the kitchen on the 27.7 (also on the 25.6?).

Yet another change is that the LED lighting strip on the awning has been moved from the outer edge of the awning, up to be flush with the outside wall. I'm guessing that this will provide better lighting at the entry but may mean you might bump your head on the outer edge at night if you're not careful.

(All of these observations are based on watching a number of video's that have appeared on YouTube over the last couple of weeks and not from personal inspection of a 27.7. Locknut should be able to expand on and clarify all of this as he gets familiar with his new ride.)

[Chance]

Originally Posted by rvfigs

The 27.7 basement storage is a problem...I think.

Give it more time...you will see an Axis/Vegas 29.1 or 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9...

It will happen...if Thor wants the product to evolve.

I think you're right in that the RV industry views evolution that way. However, it doesn't make total sense to me -- granted I'm not in marketing. In this case I can see trying to move Axis/Vegas to larger and more expensive floorplans, where margins may be higher, but if they do that they will be competing directly with other F-53-based Class As like Ace and others already in that space. And there is no price advantage, so what do they gain by using lighter-duty E-Series chassis? That it's a little easier to drive?

On the other hand there are a lot of RVers buying Mercedes Sprinter-, Ford Transit-, and RAM ProMaster-based small rigs in the 24-foot range that are presently limited to a Class C. If Thor also "evolved" Axis/Vegas slightly smaller, they would have no competition at all in that size range.

The 24.1 floorplan is the smallest Class A sold in US as far as I know, and it happens to be the best selling floorplan? Is it a coincidence, or does the smaller size matter? How do they know that an even smaller unit in 24-foot range wouldn't sell as good as a 29.1 or whatever?

Like I said, I'm not in marketing, but don't understand why you'd always evolve a product farther away from most successful design.

[rvfigs]

Thor could still market a 30 foot Axis/Vegas by exploiting dimensions.

"Our new RUV has all of the advantages of our full class A motorhomes, but with less width, less height, and less weight. Live and travel big, without taking up space. Buy today!" Thor Motor Coach.

[sage]

Thor could still market a 30 foot Axis/Vegas by exploiting dimensions

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the 27.7 may be the sweet spot for me. All of the things that have been added to or changed on this floorpan are stuff that I was really looking for. The biggest thing that it's still missing for me is the lack of any storage or cupholders below the radio/backup camera in the cockpit.

That additional 2 feet from 26 feet, 6 inches to 28 feet, 6 inches I can easily live with. But adding on four feet to a 30 foot rig is probably more than I want to deal with. Years ago I traded in a 32 footer for a 38 and always regretted it. Bigger is not always better.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by rvfigs

Thor could still market a 30 foot Axis/Vegas by exploiting dimensions.

"Our new RUV has all of the advantages of our full class A motorhomes, but with less width, less height, and less weight. Live and travel big, without taking up space. Buy today!" Thor Motor Coach.

To me that's mostly revised marketing speak.

Original Axis/Vegas marketing was based on them being a compact motorhome slightly larger than an SUV. So now they have "the advantages of our full class A motorhomes"?

They are just saying taking up less space doesn't preclude living and traveling big. Seriously? I guess their marketing geniuses can read sales reports that trend is towards smaller rigs.

[Chance]

P.S. -- Will correct myself in that the Mercedes-based Winnebago Reyo/Via are smaller Class As than Axis/Vega, but due to much higher cost (in part because of Diesel engine) don't really compete that closely with Axis/Vegas.

[dcbenny]

Originally Posted by sage

Thor could still market a 30 foot Axis/Vegas by exploiting dimensions

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the 27.7 may be the sweet spot for me. All of the things that have been added to or changed on this floorpan are stuff that I was really looking for. The biggest thing that it's still missing for me is the lack of any storage or cupholders below the radio/backup camera in the cockpit.

That additional 2 feet from 26 feet, 6 inches to 28 feet, 6 inches I can easily live with. But adding on four feet to a 30 foot rig is probably more than I want to deal with. Years ago I traded in a 32 footer for a 38 and always regretted it. Bigger is not always better.

I am liking the Windsport 27B same floor plan on a truly class A so you get the storage I need same MH I have now but with the new floor plan

[rvfigs]

Originally Posted by Chance

To me that's mostly revised marketing speak.

Original Axis/Vegas marketing was based on them being a compact motorhome slightly larger than an SUV. So now they have "the advantages of our full class A motorhomes"?

They are just saying taking up less space doesn't preclude living and traveling big. Seriously? I guess their marketing geniuses can read sales reports that trend is towards smaller rigs.

Chance...I actually wrote that blurb myself for kicks! Thor didn't write it

But my blurb was certainly influenced by the RV industry, subconsciously.

[Muggs]

I would be interested to see what cargo capacity is on yellow sticker. The Vegas 24.1 we have is 3,199 lbs. Most of the bigger ACE and Windsport do not have more than 2 ,000.

[Chance]

Ok rvfigs, thanks for clarification. Regardless, since the first two Axis/Vegas floorplans came out, each floorplan that has come out has been larger than the original. I'm just not sure why Thor doesn't want Axis/Vegas to compete in Sprinter/Transit market space, except as an inexpensive Class A rather than a Class C.

Today I saw latest sales data and once again Class Cs grew while As stayed flat.

[sage]

According to Lou Harrington, Coach Link® Sales Advisor from Thor, the stabilizing system comes from Mor/Ryde not Lippert. I can't find anything on the More/Ryde site that matches up to the photo I found but maybe it's strictly an OEM product for Thor.

[Mo_Mike]

Originally Posted by Metalman

Locknut,
The floor plan looks very nice. Can the driver's seat be moved fully back when driving, or does it hit the side of the slide out? I had a big problem with driver's legroom on a diesel pusher because of the left front slide out.

That's why we purchased the 25.2 instead of a ClassC or the other VEGAS/AXIS models