Driving your Axis/Vegas

[Chance]

Originally Posted by dstankov

They're listening and getting confused. You want a side slide and another member wants no slides. Maintain the status quo as you cancel each other out.

Dave, in fairness to Thor, I'm pretty much the only one who has maintained a strong anti-slide preference; and thus do not expect Thor to offer any Class A motorhome without at least one slide.

For that reason I've started looking at Class Cs again (without much luck yet because I also don't want a wide body). We wanted a Class A for a change, but only if I can keep it small and simple. I know I'm in the minority and likely won't find what I'm looking for.

If anything, I'd like to see Thor build an even smaller Class A on a single-rear-wheel chassis. An Axis resembling something like this would work great for us -- just a little bigger than a Class B.

[Oldchief]

Regarding a couch, somewhere I saw where an RV owner replaced their couch with 2 wall hugger recliners. I think I'd seriously consider this modification. We don't need the fold-out bed couches offer and I'd much sooner recline while watching TV, than sit on a couch. If I lay on the couch, my better half is bitching because she has no where to sit. Two side-by-side recliners seems to be to be the perfect solution. Anyone know if Thor offers such recliners as an option to a couch?

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Oldchief

Regarding a couch, somewhere I saw where an RV owner replaced their couch with 2 wall hugger recliners.

User magicbus did it here: http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...html#post10295

and user DocMike did it here: http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...html#post24815

[Skipjack47]

My wife and I have owned a Holiday Rambler RB23 class C motorhome for 5 years. We are looking to upgrade and are very interested in the Axis/Vegas. After reading the comments on alleged driveability issues with these, we decided to visit a dealer and request an extensive test-drive involving both country roads and the freeway. We took turns driving a 2017 Vegas 25.2. Here are our observations:
We did not experience any of the "squirrelly" handling characteristics described by some others. The ride was much quieter, smoother and more nimble than our 23RB. Perhaps it is because we are used to driving on a Ford E chassis (the RB is an E350, the Vegas an E450), that we found no ugly surprises in the Ford steering. 18 wheelers passing us were uneventful - again, we are used to the "blow-by" effect large vehicles have on a relatively small RV.
Additional positive: We had to stop for gas, and found the Vegas to be very easy to maneuver to the pump in a fairly tight setting.
We were very favorably impressed and are seriously considering trading for one.

[Oldchief]

Skipjack,
We've owned a PleasureWay class B, on a Ford E350 chassis and a Winnebago Aspect on a Ford E450 chassis. IMO, the 450 chassis is much better in both strength, stability and handling. Our PleasureWay wandered all over the road, so bad, that my wife wouldn't drive it. PleasureWay published a special alighment spec, that differed from what Ford recommended but many PW owners who tried it found it didn't help all that much. We got rid of ours. Our Aspect on the 450 chassis was a dream to drive and my wife even drove it thru a sand storm in New Mexico, with no problems. I would only buy an Axis/Vegas on an E450 chassis. Apparently, Thor switched to the E450 chassis early in the 2016 production year and it seems they did it rather quietly, for whatever reasons. I've seen posts on these Forums wherein some Axis/Vegas owners who bought early 2016 models, had E350 chassis, so it can't be said that all 2016's are on 450 chassis. I believe it's safe to say all 2017's are. But, that's not to say that Thor might quietly switch back to the 350, at some point.

[vkb]

Originally Posted by Skipjack47

My wife and I have owned a Holiday Rambler RB23 class C motorhome for 5 years. We are looking to upgrade and are very interested in the Axis/Vegas. After reading the comments on alleged driveability issues with these, we decided to visit a dealer and request an extensive test-drive involving both country roads and the freeway. We took turns driving a 2017 Vegas 25.2. Here are our observations:
We did not experience any of the "squirrelly" handling characteristics described by some others. The ride was much quieter, smoother and more nimble than our 23RB. Perhaps it is because we are used to driving on a Ford E chassis (the RB is an E350, the Vegas an E450), that we found no ugly surprises in the Ford steering. 18 wheelers passing us were uneventful - again, we are used to the "blow-by" effect large vehicles have on a relatively small RV.
Additional positive: We had to stop for gas, and found the Vegas to be very easy to maneuver to the pump in a fairly tight setting.
We were very favorably impressed and are seriously considering trading for one.

Ron sez...we owned 2 B+ motorhomes, both on the E350 chassis with no problems...one mh was our first 21'...second was our 25' Dorado.
Both of those, I had no problem driving.
Our Axis, purchased in January 2016, shows a build date of Oct. 2015, and is on the E450 chassis. We have done the mandatory alignment, and having put over 7000 miles on it this summer, Ron will have the Stabilizer put on the front end and is planning on increasing the size of the rear Stabilizer bar.

We LOVE our Axis !!

Kay

[vkb]

Originally Posted by Chance

If anything, I'd like to see Thor build an even smaller Class A on a single-rear-wheel chassis. An Axis resembling something like this would work great for us -- just a little bigger than a Class B.

Chance, I have read your recent post several times.. I like the looks of that European mh...
Knowing how you feel about slides...and I cannot blame you...
I think you should compose a letter to THOR mfg design .. with the photo you posted..and a floorplan. Who knows !! 20 yrs ago there were no slides to speak of !! Things change !! and personal preference changes !

Then, again...you could purchase a 'fixer upper/reno' without a slide and create exactly what you want.
It is amazing what people are doing with reno jobs of OLD rv's..

I always enjoy your posts...keep us utd on what you are thinking !!

K

[Skipjack47]

I assumed the heavier duty chassis was a factor in the improved handling of the Vegas over the RB. I also note that the 25.2 has a longer wheelbase relative to other Vegas/Axis models (194 vs 188). Those six inches, which were probably added to provide better balance when parked with the rear slide out, probably have an affect on the handling as well.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by vkb

Chance, I have read your recent post several times.. I like the looks of that European mh...
Knowing how you feel about slides...and I cannot blame you...
I think you should compose a letter to THOR mfg design .. with the photo you posted..and a floorplan. Who knows !! 20 yrs ago there were no slides to speak of !! Things change !! and personal preference changes !

Then, again...you could purchase a 'fixer upper/reno' without a slide and create exactly what you want.
It is amazing what people are doing with reno jobs of OLD rv's..

I always enjoy your posts...keep us utd on what you are thinking !!

K

Thanks for idea. My son and I looked at restoring a Classic 23-foot GMC, but in the end i decided I just don't have the time for such a long project. My wife and I are caring for my parents and can only squeeze in a short trip of a week or two here and there; so a one-year project is out of the question for now.

I could probably handle every aspect of restoring or building a motorhome if starting with the outer shell, with maybe the exception of woodworking. Fortunately I have a cousin who is a retired electrical engineer who is into cabinets, furniture, etc. as a hobby and has offered to help with that. I like the idea of building what I want and leaving off everything I don't need.


Regarding the compact Hymer pictured, Thor has built on SRW (single rear wheel) Ford chassis before, and that was before Ford upgraded the GVWR. A 23-ft should be possible if they wanted, but I doubt there is enough of a market. Unless gasoline hits $10 a gallon, Americans won't buy enough small motorhomes to make it worth the investment. And I understand their decision.

What Thor and other companies are obviously pursuing in that size range are compact Class Cs built on Ford Transit or RAM ProMaster cutaway chassis. We've looked at those too but find the cab area too tight, particularly with the Transit. And both chassis have inadequate GCWR for our needs.

[vkb]

Originally Posted by Chance

I could probably handle every aspect of restoring or building a motorhome if starting with the outer shell, with maybe the exception of woodworking. Fortunately I have a cousin who is a retired electrical engineer who is into cabinets, furniture, etc. as a hobby and has offered to help with that. I like the idea of building what I want and leaving off everything I don't need.
.

Don't lose your vision...the right thing will come along..whether you build it or not.
Recently, I saw on, I believe Discover...a piece on several small companies who take an old rv from a farm field and strip it down, replace, restore and rebuild to meet modern specs. Amazing !!
In June, traveling across AZ & NM we saw soooo many sitting abandoned...If I were younger, I would take on a project like that.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by vkb

Don't lose your vision...the right thing will come along..whether you build it or not.
Recently, I saw on, I believe Discover...a piece on several small companies who take an old rv from a farm field and strip it down, replace, restore and rebuild to meet modern specs. Amazing !!
In June, traveling across AZ & NM we saw soooo many sitting abandoned...If I were younger, I would take on a project like that.

In that same area years ago we saw dozens of beautifully restored GMC classic motorhomes (think on I-40) probably going or coming from a rally. Some looked nicer than new. Custom paint jobs were incredible.


I'm hoping new models and/or floorplans more to our liking will be introduced this summer/fall. In the past Thor introduced some new Axis floorplans during this time of year. Unfortunately I thought that last year too.

[Oldchief]

From my experience, the "wandering" you've experienced with your Axis is characteristic of the E350 chassis, that many of the earlier Axis/Vegas units were built on. A few years ago, we owned a PleasureWay, class B, that also used the E350 chassis. So many PleasureWay owners complained that PW actually came out with a special alignment spec for their van campers. All this is well documented if you Google 'PleasureWay wandering issues'. Some owners attributed the problem to the made in China Hancook tires and corrected the problem, to some extent, by installing Michelins. Our's was so bad that my wife wouldn't drive our PW. We got rid of it. When we decided to buy an Axis 25.5, I made sure it was built on an E450 chassis, which didn't seem to have as bad "wandering" issues. I have to say, after putting almost 2500 miles on our new Axis, that it handles MUCH better than that PleasureWay did.
For what its worth!

[revjeffrey]

My experience has been, if I drive from North West Indiana to South Florida and I have made the trip Many times in 20 yrs with several MH's . I can drive one handed no issues. The issue is if your heading out West or live out West "in my opinion" it is a whole different driving experience. The wind is relentless and the Motorhome is tougher to control. That is why I added the Safe t plus, Sumos, etc. Now I feel more comfortable driving anywhere.

[Pville211]

Our 2017 Axis 24.1 was scary on the highway until I changed the tire pressure. Now I run 75 psi in front and 72 psi in the rear, and can drive it one-handed. I hardly notice moderate crosswinds and passing semi trucks.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Pville211

Our 2017 Axis 24.1 was scary on the highway until I changed the tire pressure. Now I run 75 psi in front and 72 psi in the rear, and can drive it one-handed. I hardly notice moderate crosswinds and passing semi trucks.

Interesting. Do u have an E-350 or 450? I’ll have to try reducing my tir3 pressure in the rear and see if I see a significant difference. I have a 450 and reduced my pressure from 80 lbs to 75 this summer because I was 2000 lbs under max weight and I saw a positive difference.

[Pville211]

Mine is an E-450. I added the Safe-T-Plus steering damper, which helped, but the steering wheel still felt like it was connected to the front wheels with a bungee cord. On one occasion, there was a strong crosswind and it took a frantic effort to keep us between the lines.

I was running the tire pressure indicated on the spec sticker next to the driver's seat. Someone mentioned that the specs were fine for the chassis, but then Thor built a top-heavy house on it.

It was suggested to run tire pressure that is slightly lower in the rear than it is in the front. This should introduce just enough rear drag to make the vehicle want to track straight. In actual practice, it was a huge improvement. Today I drove for two hours on I-35, with a crosswind and lots of semi-trucks. It was mostly a relaxed one-handed driving experience.

When I first lowered the pressure, I was concerned about excess heat damaging the tires. I have a Tire Minder TPMS and the tires did not show any noticeable increase in heat. I don't have the numbers, and am not an engineer, but after a couple of trips I was confident enough that I stopped checking.

[Kev]

Originally Posted by Pville211

Mine is an E-450. I added the Safe-T-Plus steering damper, which helped, but the steering wheel still felt like it was connected to the front wheels with a bungee cord. On one occasion, there was a strong crosswind and it took a frantic effort to keep us between the lines.

I was running the tire pressure indicated on the spec sticker next to the driver's seat. Someone mentioned that the specs were fine for the chassis, but then Thor built a top-heavy house on it.

It was suggested to run tire pressure that is slightly lower in the rear than it is in the front. This should introduce just enough rear drag to make the vehicle want to track straight. In actual practice, it was a huge improvement. Today I drove for two hours on I-35, with a crosswind and lots of semi-trucks. It was mostly a relaxed one-handed driving experience.

When I first lowered the pressure, I was concerned about excess heat damaging the tires. I have a Tire Minder TPMS and the tires did not show any noticeable increase in heat. I don't have the numbers, and am not an engineer, but after a couple of trips I was confident enough that I stopped checking.

I had the dealer pay for an alignment and I added Sumo Springs to the front and rear, as well as the Safe T Plus. Made all the difference in the world and it tracked straight down the road.

[Oneilkeys]

Thanks. I will try 72 lbs on my trip to Tampa and Orlando next month. When you look at the recommended tire pressures from Michelin and the weight of the rear axel of the 450, below 75 lbs is where you should be, so I am not surprised that you TPMS dis not register a heat gain. I have a TPMS and will monitor them on my trip. I’m sitting at 8,500 lbs on the rear axel. It sure is nice to have the xtra 2000 lb cushion with the 450.

[axis earl]

Originally Posted by Oneilkeys

Thanks. I will try 72 lbs on my trip to Tampa and Orlando next month. When you look at the recommended tire pressures from Michelin and the weight of the rear axel of the 450, below 75 lbs is where you should be, so I am not surprised that you TPMS dis not register a heat gain. I have a TPMS and will monitor them on my trip. I’m sitting at 8,500 lbs on the rear axel. It sure is nice to have the xtra 2000 lb cushion with the 450.

I had our rig weighed when we had the alignment done and they recommended 80 in front and 65 in the rear. I've been running 80 and 70 respectively. I don't have any tire pressure monitors but I religiously check the pressures before each trip with a quality air gauge.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by axis earl

I had our rig weighed when we had the alignment done and they recommended 80 in front and 65 in the rear. I've been running 80 and 70 respectively. I don't have any tire pressure monitors but I religiously check the pressures before each trip with a quality air gauge.

What did you weigh in at? My E-350 Vegas weighed 4000 front and 8500 rear which was max for both axels according to Ford. My E-450 Axis weighs the same but that is 2000 lbs under max in the rear. Looking at the Michelin tire chart, it says 65 psi at 8600 lbs for the duals - so you are probably alright at that. I feel more comfortable at 70+, but Michelin says you can ride at 65. In the front the chart says you can run 75 at about 5000 lbs and that seems about right. I do not see any reason to run at 80 lbs front which is the max for the tires. 75 gives you a little slack.