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Old 12-10-2017, 06:40 PM   #150
Finch1408
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.1
State: North Carolina
Posts: 54
THOR #8306
Quote:
Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post
Ok Teeitup26: Long post warning.

Private/public campgrounds: We usually stay at private campgrounds because they have full hookup sites. Its very rare to find a public campground with full hookup sites. As a result private campgrounds are typically smaller, you are much closer to your neighbor and fewer trees for shade (simply because it costs a lot more to run those sewer pipes around so they put them close together and they have to yank the trees as well). As a consequence we really don't use the campground facilities much because we use our camper. When travelling for long distances we typically will stay at KOA's--much like McDonalds you always know what you'll get when you go to a KOA (and since we're just overnighting anyway its not that big of a deal).

Quality/trailer/etc.: We traded in our F-350 and our Cougar 5th wheel for the 24.1 (Cougar 5th wheel was this model 2006 Keystone Cougar 281efs, Center Conway NH - 113186689 - RVTrader.com ). That 5er had a huge slide down the side and was very roomy. The 24.1 in comparison could be called cramped (but we were looking to downsize and wanted something more maneuverable than 50+ feet going down the road). The 24.1 is that and spades. The interesting thing is storage: Most 5th wheels have a huge storage area under the front bedroom (typically called the "basement"). We were able to fit everything we had in the 5th wheel into the 24.1 except for one lawn chair. I was very impressed.
In your case you'll have to consider storing your golf clubs. The 24.1 has a huge through-the-back storage area under the beds which is perfect for them. The floorplan on the 25.1 doesn't have that (if you look at the specs:
2015 Axis Motorhomes: Class A RV by Thor Motor Coach the 25.1 only has 48 cu ft of exterior storage, the 24.1 has a whopping 63 cu ft).

Purchase process: I'm not sure how much research you've done on buying an RV so I'll go a little into it here. RV manufacturer's don't have the same kind of quality control as car companies. Thus you have to be a bit more of a tough customer to the RV dealership. Being a newbie you'll have to do some research otherwise the sales people will see you coming a mile away. I'd start by finding a delivery checklist (like this one: RV Inspection Checklist ) go over it, print it out and bring it with you when you pick up the RV. Have the dealership show you everything (open panels, take off the beds to show you the plumbing, how to winterize--even if you never will, etc.). Take lots of notes. If you find anything wrong with it make sure they fix it before you leave the dealership. In addition if you're going to pick it up out of state from where you live I'd camp for a few nights near the dealership so you can learn it and use it before driving off (some really good dealers have their own campground next to the dealership so you can spend the first night in it right there). If you find anything wrong with it you can take it back and have them fix it before going home.

E-350 chassis: Both models use the E-350 chassis with the V-10 engine. This is our 3rd V-10 (prior to this our F-350 and an earlier F-250 we had both had the V-10). The V-10 is a great engine for an RV and will last many miles when taken care of (much like any engine, our F-250 had 140k miles on it when we traded it for the F-350). Its an overhead valve design which means it is perfectly happy winding out to high revs (a lot of first time V-10 owners get a little nervous when the RPMs pick up. Rest assured we pulled our Cougar through the mountains with the V-10 screaming all the way with no damage at all to the engine). It also makes for a pretty peppy camper LOL.
It will need to be aligned once you pick it up (unless you can negotiate for the dealer to get that done for you). Note that there is an alignment thread around here (with discussions about the E-350 and Ford's F-53 chassis). Ours was more than an inch out of alignment when I had it done. I had to find a local truck shop to get it done (they were quite amused to see our little tiny 25' motorhome pulling into the shop filled with semi-trucks).
A tad off topic (curious). A lot of mention of E350. My 2017 Axis 24.1 says it has a E450. Is this new, or special?
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