2016 Axis 24.1 Impressions

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

Was the bathroom door the old large, hinged, double door or the new pocket doors that open one at a time? The new ones are a great improvement. The cracked windshield must have been one of the old large ones - I hope! I think (hope) they have solved that problem with the new window. It is unfortunate that a dealer will put a unit (or units) like that in a show. RVs take a lot of abuse on the open road and things will come apart. It is the little things that you notice (rightfull so) and it really takes a dealer little time to correct those flaws. Both the Axis and Vegas dealers at the Tampa RV show had obviously taken the time and effort to get their units ready for the show. It paid off. They sold 20 Axis at the show.

Yes, it was the original large door that didn't last long at the Houston RV Show before someone broke it. I remember telling my wife i was sure someone forced it, but only because it was more complicated than the average person needed; or expected. Hinges are simple. Thor must not send employees to the KISS school of design.

Weather in South Florida will be bad to attend outdoor show before Saturday or Sunday, unless one is looking for water leaks. I'll look at new 24.1 doors closer then.

By the way, did Ford and/or Thor change the wiper control switch on 2016 chassis models? I recall some negative comments about its original location on dash being too far for shorter drivers.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

And the headlights. That was the one thing that it took some convincing to get my wife to change from the Vegas to the Axis. Funny what some people find important. Our salesman said he got the same comment all the time.

Not so funny -- Axis headlights look much better to me.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Chance

Yes, it was the original large door that didn't last long at the Houston RV Show before someone broke it. I remember telling my wife i was sure someone forced it, but only because it was more complicated than the average person needed; or expected. Hinges are simple. Thor must not send employees to the KISS school of design.

Weather in South Florida will be bad to attend outdoor show before Saturday or Sunday, unless one is looking for water leaks. I'll look at new 24.1 doors closer then.

By the way, did Ford and/or Thor change the wiper control switch on 2016 chassis models? I recall some negative comments about its original location on dash being too far for shorter drivers.

The door was a great idea...very poorly executed. The new pocket doors keep the original concept but are much better looking and easier to operate. No, Thor did not change the windshield wiper control. I am not short and it still is difficult to operate, just because I have to take my eye off the road to find it. After I have used it several times, I don't have to look... but it is a learning experience every time. It would be much better on the steering column. I'm pretty sure this is a Thor issue.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Chance

Not so funny -- Axis headlights look much better to me.

I don't know how anyone could buy an Axis with its old fashioned, traditional headlights over the modern, futuristic design of the Vegas..... Oh.. Wait a minute, I just did?

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

I don't know how anyone could buy an Axis with its old fashioned, traditional headlights over the modern, futuristic design of the Vegas..... Oh.. Wait a minute, I just did?

Don't forget to update your signature

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Don't forget to update your signature

Thanks! I forgot...

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

The door was a great idea...very poorly executed. .....cut....

Can it be that great an idea if it's that difficult to execute successfully?

If it was a minor issue or two causing the problems, I have to think that Thor would have revised or upgraded the design and kept the original "great" concept. That they abandoned it tells me it was a bad design from the onset.

I personally feel that way about many things in motorhomes. Sure, things can be made to work, but any time anything is made more complicated or with more moving parts, the greater the opportunity for failure or for issues to come up. And for me, a recreational activity that can be done out of a tent shouldn't require that much design sophistication. A simple hinged door is hard to beat.

[JamieGeek]

Note that the door design was also designed out on the Sprinter 24SR and 24ST.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Chance

Can it be that great an idea if it's that difficult to execute successfully?

If it was a minor issue or two causing the problems, I have to think that Thor would have revised or upgraded the design and kept the original "great" concept. That they abandoned it tells me it was a bad design from the onset.

I personally feel that way about many things in motorhomes. Sure, things can be made to work, but any time anything is made more complicated or with more moving parts, the greater the opportunity for failure or for issues to come up. And for me, a recreational activity that can be done out of a tent shouldn't require that much design sophistication. A simple hinged door is hard to beat.

The "concept" to us was the large bathroom area using the hallway and the bathroom door. The small, cramped area getting into and out of the shower was always a pain in our two previous Class B and C's. We love the large dressing area and large bathroom without the permanent loss of space. Having two light doors on hinges creates the same space without the large, heavy door. I agree that simple is best, but the smart, dual use of space makes a small RV live much bigger. I am convinced that is why we could travel in our Vegas for 4 1/2 months without killing each other and why I could not talk my wife into a bigger RV.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Note that the door design was also designed out on the Sprinter 24SR and 24ST.

Makes sense if they had issues in one model that it would show up in others too. I'm guessing it was more expensive to make, so unless it was perceived as an upgrade why offer it?

Checking the Sprinters you mention above, I'm glad to see another floorplan offers two different seating options to the standard dinette. That's the kind of smart design Thor and others should try to design into their floorplans. Why should some buyers have to replace a couch with a dinette, or others with reclining theater seating, when the factory can easily do it for them at a much lower price? Can they not offer similar options on at least some Axis/Vegas floorplans?

[bevedfelker]

I tend to like the Vegas vertical headlights over the Axis horizontal. My wife and I like the double fold bathroom door/wall. We like the extra dressing space and at night we leave the door/wall open to block off the living area from the sleeping area. But it is only the two of us. We are very careful whenever we open and close the door though because of the weight of the doors and the plastic door latches.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by bevedfelker

I tend to like the Vegas vertical headlights over the Axis horizontal. My wife and I like the double fold bathroom door/wall. We like the extra dressing space and at night we leave the door/wall open to block off the living area from the sleeping area. But it is only the two of us. We are very careful whenever we open and close the door though because of the weight of the doors and the plastic door latches.

I think you get the same space and feeling with the new doors without the heavy double doors to crush your fingers and crunch your feet.

[JamieGeek]

I also like the older double doors; but have yet to see a unit with the new door arrangement.

Ours was also a show unit which had a broken bathroom door. The dealer replaced the door when we picked it up.

We've also had the "carrier" come loose from the top of the door--the screws would back out after repeated open/close cycles. I did my usual RV screw fix and it seems to be holding (usual fix: slightly larger screws dipped in glue).

[Oneilkeys]

If you liked the old ones, you should love the new ones. They are thin, light "pocket doors" that open so the right hand door fills the hallway towards the front and the left hand door closes off the bedroom. There is still an accordian door at the bedroom entrance so you can leave both bathroom doors closed and still separate the bedroom from the living area. The only negative (from my wife) is the fact that with both bathroom doors open you no longer have direct access to the bedroom. She used to put her clothes on the bed and dress from there after taking a shower. Now she has to close one door to do that. The doors close with a magnet on top and are secured with a magnet near the left hand top of the fridge and top of the closet. Much easier and safer for your hands and feet and less to break. A success all around.

[vkb]

Interesting read since my last post ! We shopped both the Vegas and Axis and decided we liked the package on the Axis. The new bathroom door application is nice. We backed away from older units which had the track on the ceiling.
OK...2016 Axis 24.1 ... ours ... there is a blue tube located near the gas tank, and rear axle....water is running from it ... Ron has not had a chance to get under it to take a look.
AND ... some of you have mentioned the poor batteries which come with these units.
Well...ours will not hold a charge ... those who have had these problems...does Camping World take care of this issue ?
Other than not getting the remote to the radio upon delivery, shame on us...we have found those 2 issues.

NOW...question for a friend who is on vacation in AZ ... She has an Itasca Navion...
soot coming from the water heater vent. RV fellow there sez her propane tank and lines are rusted and clogged and need to be replaced. We viewed YouTube...many say it is merely a flame adjustment ... any feedback for her will be appreciated, as we have never encountered this problem and our first motorhome was far from new when we purchased it !

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

The only negative (from my wife) is the fact that with both bathroom doors open you no longer have direct access to the bedroom.

LOL! That is exactly what we do; lay out the clothes on the bed...

Its one of the big reasons I like the old doors: having access to the bedroom while showering...

[vkb]

Re...the bathroom doors...we will probably just open the door at the front...leaving access to the bedroom from the bathroom...keeping in mind ... with both doors open you have access to the closet and the drawers under it...where undergarments can be stored...voila....everything is there !! A couple hooks appropriately placed in the closet and you are good to go !! Love those Command hooks !

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by vkb

Interesting read since my last post ! We shopped both the Vegas and Axis and decided we liked the package on the Axis. The new bathroom door application is nice. We backed away from older units which had the track on the ceiling.
OK...2016 Axis 24.1 ... ours ... there is a blue tube located near the gas tank, and rear axle....water is running from it ... Ron has not had a chance to get under it to take a look.
AND ... some of you have mentioned the poor batteries which come with these units.
Well...ours will not hold a charge ... those who have had these problems...does Camping World take care of this issue ?
Other than not getting the remote to the radio upon delivery, shame on us...we have found those 2 issues.

NOW...question for a friend who is on vacation in AZ ... She has an Itasca Navion...
soot coming from the water heater vent. RV fellow there sez her propane tank and lines are rusted and clogged and need to be replaced. We viewed YouTube...many say it is merely a flame adjustment ... any feedback for her will be appreciated, as we have never encountered this problem and our first motorhome was far from new when we purchased it !

The tube with water coming out is the drain for the water tank located under the passenger side bed. The valve is to the right of the water pump. There are three valves there, only one goes thru the floor. On the batteries either Camping World or Thor Warrantee support should help. If you just purchased it, you should get a call from Thor in the next several days. Bring it up with them and your salesman.
Make sure your water heater is off. If you drain all of the water out of the tank and the water heater empties, you could hurt it.

[vkb]

thankkyou !

[axis earl]

Originally Posted by fhenn

That sewer head rotates down hard to move at first.

Thank you for that information! You are correct. Thor told me via email to take it to the dealer... Too bad the dealer didn't mention this fact to me during the walk around.