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06-14-2016, 06:57 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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ACE 29.3 Owners - Your Opinions Please
We own a 2016 Ace 29.3 and would like your opinions as to what you love about your 29.3, what you don't like and what you would change if you could. Also, how is your black water tank working for you? Please indicate what year your Ace is. Thanks
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06-14-2016, 09:51 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Things we like:
1. Floor plan.
2. Bedroom layout.
3. Size and ease of getting in and out of camp grounds.
4. Pantry.
5. Eating booth.
6. Three TVs
7. Outdoor kitchen.
8. Awning. It works very well.
9. Full length slide.
10.Rear view camera(s)
11.New design of windows.
Things that could be better.
1. Larger cabinets.
2. Cockpit seats that move up and down. One size does not fit all.
3. Motorized windshield cover, move it down a little and you have a visor, move it all the way down and you have front privacy.
4. Optional recliners to replace the jackknife sofa.
5. Movable cover for entry well. It is difficult to reach the monitor switches and the slide control with it mounted so high over the well.
6. LARGER black water tank. Ours fills way too fast but our gray water tank doesn't.
7. Soundproofing on dog house cover over engine.
8. Safe-T-Plus or the equivalent standard equipment. You should not have to spend $500-$750 to make it safe to drive.
9. Better initial quality control. You should not have to take your unit back to the dealer to fix what should not need fixing.
10. TV antenna that you do not have to crank up and down. At the least make it where you can reach it.
11. Five Star tuning or the equivalent. Make the V10 more pleasant to drive. Why do you have to spend another $500 to make the engine work like it should.
Things that cost a lot that we could care less about.
1. Electric bed over the cockpit. We didn't buy ours for company. We realize everyone has different needs. But why pay for something we will never use.
Things I hate.
1. Lack of an owners manual designed for an Ace. The manual that comes with it is lousy.
2. Lack of a way to hold up the bed so you can access the storage under it. The manual says it has gas struts to hold it up It doesn't.
3. Better coach batteries. The manual says it comes with two six volt batteries. It doesn't.
4. Did I mention the black water holding tank is too small?
Finally, wouldn't it be great if Thor was know for QUALITY etc.?
That is my list for starters, what is yours?
2016 Ace 29.3
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06-14-2016, 11:25 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Another thing I really like are the auto levelers, though at times it is better to level your unit manually.
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06-14-2016, 11:28 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ace 29.3
State: Virginia
Posts: 18
THOR #3418
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29.3
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery
Things we like:
1. Floor plan.
2. Bedroom layout.
3. Size and ease of getting in and out of camp grounds.
4. Pantry.
5. Eating booth.
6. Three TVs
7. Outdoor kitchen.
8. Awning. It works very well.
9. Full length slide.
10.Rear view camera(s)
11.New design of windows.
Things that could be better.
1. Larger cabinets.
2. Cockpit seats that move up and down. One size does not fit all.
3. Motorized windshield cover, move it down a little and you have a visor, move it all the way down and you have front privacy.
4. Optional recliners to replace the jackknife sofa.
5. Movable cover for entry well. It is difficult to reach the monitor switches and the slide control with it mounted so high over the well.
6. LARGER black water tank. Ours fills way too fast but our gray water tank doesn't.
7. Soundproofing on dog house cover over engine.
8. Safe-T-Plus or the equivalent standard equipment. You should not have to spend $500-$750 to make it safe to drive.
9. Better initial quality control. You should not have to take your unit back to the dealer to fix what should not need fixing.
10. TV antenna that you do not have to crank up and down. At the least make it where you can reach it.
11. Five Star tuning or the equivalent. Make the V10 more pleasant to drive. Why do you have to spend another $500 to make the engine work like it should.
Things that cost a lot that we could care less about.
1. Electric bed over the cockpit. We didn't buy ours for company. We realize everyone has different needs. But why pay for something we will never use.
Things I hate.
1. Lack of an owners manual designed for an Ace. The manual that comes with it is lousy.
2. Lack of a way to hold up the bed so you can access the storage under it. The manual says it has gas struts to hold it up It doesn't.
3. Better coach batteries. The manual says it comes with two six volt batteries. It doesn't.
4. Did I mention the black water holding tank is too small?
Finally, wouldn't it be great if Thor was know for QUALITY etc.?
That is my list for starters, what is yours?
2016 Ace 29.3
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Bob, all the positives you listed are all what we liked about it also. Remember that it is an entry level MH. Some negative's that we found is yes the owners manual is not written for the ACE. We do like the over head bed for the two grand kids. Yes the TV crank antenna is a problem. Wish they would have added XM and improved the audio system.
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06-14-2016, 11:36 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimorla
Bob, all the positives you listed are all what we liked about it also. Remember that it is an entry level MH. Some negative's that we found is yes the owners manual is not written for the ACE. We do like the over head bed for the two grand kids. Yes the TV crank antenna is a problem. Wish they would have added XM and improved the audio system.
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With a msrp of $112,000 I hardly consider this an entry level rv (meaning cheap is ok)... Even a Chevy Spark (an entry level auto) has a good owners manual. Thanks for your input.
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06-15-2016, 02:11 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 243
THOR #4359
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Hi all have a 2015 ACE 29.3
My wife and I bought it for the floor plan and the bunk was the bonus that put us over the top.
We looked at RV's for two years before we bought this one.
I have three girls and a dog and have done week and a half in it and had no issues with feeling cramped.
Likes.
Floor plan, pantry, storage, outdoor kitchen, ability to camp with the slide in, outside tv, inverter, size (ability to camp in smaller state parks), ease of set up led lights and outdoor grill.
Dislike
Cabinet quality, insulation on the shoe storage and front cab area(very cold when 22 degrees outside), transmission shifting (new models have the 6 speed transmission ) black water tank( pyramid issue), no roof gutters, keyless entry, difficult to cool on hot days (needs larger that 15000 btu unit or second one)
We love it and have put 7000 miles on it in the last year.
Have no problem towing my CRV or Dakota with it.
Hope this helps.
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Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
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06-15-2016, 02:17 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mousemate
Hi all have a 2015 ACE 29.3
My wife and I bought it for the floor plan and the bunk was the bonus that put us over the top.
We looked at RV's for two years before we bought this one.
I have three girls and a dog and have done week and a half in it and had no issues with feeling cramped.
Likes.
Floor plan, pantry, storage, outdoor kitchen, ability to camp with the slide in, outside tv, inverter, size (ability to camp in smaller state parks), ease of set up led lights and outdoor grill.
Dislike
Cabinet quality, insulation on the shoe storage and front cab area(very cold when 22 degrees outside), transmission shifting (new models have the 6 speed transmission ) black water tank( pyramid issue), no roof gutters, keyless entry, difficult to cool on hot days (needs larger that 15000 btu unit or second one)
We love it and have put 7000 miles on it in the last year.
Have no problem towing my CRV or Dakota with it.
Hope this helps.
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Please be more specific about your black water tank issue and what have you done to remedy it? Thanks.
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06-15-2016, 02:30 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 243
THOR #4359
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With four girls total.
My wife and I try to emphasize minimal amounts of paper and only use Scott's.
We also use enough water to cover the toilet paper to help it flow better.
We used the rv camco toilet paper and found it did break down fast enough.
We tend to get 3 days out of the black tank before its full.
When I empty the tank I always use the tank sprayer and also sometimes use the poop stick ,as the kids call it (it's a 2 foot branch I put down the toilet hole to help clear the pyramid) I don't think there is a easy fix for this since the toilet is over the 3" part of the tank.
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Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
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06-15-2016, 02:34 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mousemate
With four girls total.
My wife and I try to emphasize minimal amounts of paper and only use Scott's.
We also use enough water to cover the toilet paper to help it flow better.
We used the rv camco toilet paper and found it did break down fast enough.
We tend to get 3 days out of the black tank before its full.
When I empty the tank I always use the tank sprayer and also sometimes use the poop stick ,as the kids call it (it's a 2 foot branch I put down the toilet hole to help clear the pyramid) I don't think there is a easy fix for this since the toilet is over the 3" part of the tank.
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Did you say rv camco toilet does break down ok or did you mean something else? Also, have you verified the shower doesn't empty into the black water tank? With just my wife and I our tank appears full (using the sensors) in only three days.... not good in my opinion.
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06-15-2016, 02:46 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 ACE 29.3
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 243
THOR #4359
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Sorry about the typo the rv camco tp didn't break down as fast.
Our shower runs to the gray water tank .I tested it when I witerizer it this year.
When you empty your tank are the sensors reading empty?
Sometimes they get stuff on them and give false readings.
"RV Geeks "videos on YouTube have a good fix on cleaning the sensors.
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Tom and Jen
2015 ACE 29.3
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06-15-2016, 03:38 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mousemate
Sorry about the typo the rv camco tp didn't break down as fast.
Our shower runs to the gray water tank .I tested it when I witerizer it this year.
When you empty your tank are the sensors reading empty?
Sometimes they get stuff on them and give false readings.
"RV Geeks "videos on YouTube have a good fix on cleaning the sensors.
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After dumping the black water tank, I run hot water through the bathroom sink and also flush the toilet with as much water as possible and then dump the tank again. Usually, at this point the sensors show empty. If not, I run more water down the sink and flush more water etc. So far, it always shows empty. The problem for me has been how fast or quickly they go from empty to full. With the wife and myself three or four days max and it must be dumped. Not good if you are not hooked up to a dump at your camp site.
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06-15-2016, 01:53 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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When I bought our new 2016 Ace 29.3 I thought we were buying a new 2016. It seems we actually got a 2015 F53 labeled a 2016. Within a few days of taking delivery, Thor sent us an email telling us about the new 2017 ...that we should check it out. Oh well. Lesson learned.
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06-15-2016, 10:03 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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I have verified the shower is NOT draining into my black water tank. Our black water tank seems to fill up way too soon. Maybe the gauges cannot be depended on so what is your experience? I really don't like the way the black water tank on this model works.
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06-17-2016, 11:18 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Gas mileage could be better...will 5-Star-Tuning help?
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06-18-2016, 12:59 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Please...only Ace owners opinions on this thread....Thank you.
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06-24-2016, 03:47 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E 29.3
State: Ohio
Posts: 613
THOR #1620
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Bob, the Ace has only a 26 gallon Black tank. That isn't a lot considering the bath sink drains into it also. Its a poor design that the toilet dumps right over the most shallow part of the tank. On some of the other Ace models they have a macerator to pump the black out, I am guessing this is because they had to install the tank with the deep end under the toilet. I am considering dropping my tank and doing exactly that. All the grief involved with that would be less than having to push the poop/paper pile away with a stick
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2015 Thor A.C.E. 29.3
2014 Honda CRV Toad
Ohio FMCA 317123
Camping World Indianapolis, worst dealer EVER experienced
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06-24-2016, 04:18 PM
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#17
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Axis/Vegas Enthusiast
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.4
State: Michigan
Posts: 9,837
THOR #1150
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery
Please...only Ace owners opinions on this thread....Thank you.
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You'll miss out on other's valuable insight, like for this question:
Quote:
Gas mileage could be better...will 5-Star-Tuning help?
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There are a few of us on here with V-10's (but not ACE's) and with 5-Star experience (From what I've read all good; myself included).
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06-24-2016, 04:24 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E 29.3
State: Ohio
Posts: 613
THOR #1620
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I have the 5 Star on my ace and love it. Mileage was minimal and hard to determine if it was 5 star or other factors but the biggest improvement is transmission handling. Well worth the money!
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06-24-2016, 04:57 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 29.3 (2016)
State: Montana
Posts: 511
THOR #4032
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thor293
Bob, the Ace has only a 26 gallon Black tank. That isn't a lot considering the bath sink drains into it also. Its a poor design that the toilet dumps right over the most shallow part of the tank. On some of the other Ace models they have a macerator to pump the black out, I am guessing this is because they had to install the tank with the deep end under the toilet. I am considering dropping my tank and doing exactly that. All the grief involved with that would be less than having to push the poop/paper pile away with a stick
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Please tell me your experiences with the black tank on the 29.3... ours has not plugged up as far as I can tell but it fills quickly.
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06-24-2016, 05:16 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: A.C.E 29.3
State: Ohio
Posts: 613
THOR #1620
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Montgomery
Please tell me your experiences with the black tank on the 29.3... ours has not plugged up as far as I can tell but it fills quickly.
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Main issue has been with the tank so shallow, all the water runs to the deep end. No water is available until the tank is almost full. When they wife would use the toilet and flush the paper it would just stack at the bottom, especially if any #2 material was deposited As for Paper, we switch to sams club paper, it is great, breaks down real easy. The ole test if you havent seen it is put a couple sheets in a jar add water and shake a few times, if the paper falls apart its good to go in an rv tank. Also don't get sucked in by all the hype about chemicals to break down the waste, its called a Holding tank for a reason, its not a septic tank.
PS: we use to use Angle soft paper with is excellent but the sams is cheaper
__________________
2015 Thor A.C.E. 29.3
2014 Honda CRV Toad
Ohio FMCA 317123
Camping World Indianapolis, worst dealer EVER experienced
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