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Old 05-09-2016, 09:00 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: XG 32 Omni
State: Missouri
Posts: 842
THOR #4243
lookng at purchasing a new THOR

Currently we have 99 fleetwod Tioga, which has been a great unit, 103k miles and no real issues.
We are looking at buying a new unit and a bigger unit than what we have now. The wife has fallen in love with the Chateau 31W. It is a nice looking unit.
Looking for some feed back on THOR, good/bad whatever. One of my biggest concerns other than build quality, is that one BIG slide out on the drivers side, the whole wall slides out, any issues with these?

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Old 05-10-2016, 02:53 AM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Chateau 28F
State: Colorado
Posts: 70
THOR #2768
We have a 2015 Chateua 28F and the entire passenger side is a slide. No problems! We love our RV. Like all RV's there are issues when you first get it, but thankfully ours were all minor. Thor customer service has been great to me. They have always responded within 24 hours and usually the same day. Spend all the time you can doing your walk through. See the many threads and forms available on line to make sure you check everything. Once you drive it off the lot, you have to make appointments to have warranty work done and they can be weeks to months out. I got my coach at MHS RV south of Dallas. Best price around the US when I purchased.. Good luck and "go for it!"
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Old 05-10-2016, 07:38 PM   #3
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 34J
State: Virginia
Posts: 32
THOR #4004
Run, run as FAST as you can AWAY from Thor! The entire line up is nothing but a nightmare come to life! There are plenty of other 'reputable' manufactures out there that have a much better product and SUPPORT for your money!
If you look at my entry on this, you will see that you would probably save yourself some grief and a LOT of expense by staying AWAY from that large, single slide. While it is great in concept (I thought the same thing you did when I looked at it), but in reality, they cut too many corners and it is severely under-engineered, along with a lot of other things!
I found that everything from the owner's manual (none of the pages lined up with the glossary or index) to the electrical schematic (there ISN'T one, that is a trick question) are incorrect, outdated or simply wrong and when you try and talk to a 'tech' about it, they don't know half the time either!
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Old 05-10-2016, 08:11 PM   #4
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Model: XG 32 Omni
State: Missouri
Posts: 842
THOR #4243
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Originally Posted by Spacelink View Post
Run, run as FAST as you can AWAY from Thor! The entire line up is nothing but a nightmare come to life! There are plenty of other 'reputable' manufactures out there that have a much better product and SUPPORT for your money!
If you look at my entry on this, you will see that you would probably save yourself some grief and a LOT of expense by staying AWAY from that large, single slide. While it is great in concept (I thought the same thing you did when I looked at it), but in reality, they cut too many corners and it is severely under-engineered, along with a lot of other things!
I found that everything from the owner's manual (none of the pages lined up with the glossary or index) to the electrical schematic (there ISN'T one, that is a trick question) are incorrect, outdated or simply wrong and when you try and talk to a 'tech' about it, they don't know half the time either!
I have been hearing and reading about this a lot, from other forums and mechanics. That's why I came here to this forum to ask actual owners. We liked the THOR, but from I am hearing (more negative than positive) is that we may want to look at other manufactures.
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Old 05-10-2016, 08:42 PM   #5
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Model: Accolade 37TS
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THOR #1469
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Originally Posted by kwplot34 View Post
I have been hearing and reading about this a lot, from other forums and mechanics. That's why I came here to this forum to ask actual owners. We liked the THOR, but from I am hearing (more negative than positive) is that we may want to look at other manufactures.
My prior coach was a Forest River and I will tell you that the quality of the build and the customer service from Thor is much better than I received from FR.

As to the full wall slide, when I first started looking at upgrading from a class c to a class a we were also concerned about the full wall slide and stayed away from any coach that had one installed. Thor has since added the 3Trax system on the larger slides to help eliminate some of the problems. I don't have experience with that system since my coach is a 3 slide unit using the old system but other than a wire coming disconnected from a slide motor during the shakedown cruise I have had no issues with any of my slides. Also, I have noticed in campgrounds that other manufacturers are using the same Schwintek slide system that is used by Thor.

Bottom line, we are extremely happy with our Thor motor coach and the service we have received from Thor during the last 14 months.
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Old 05-10-2016, 10:29 PM   #6
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: vegas 24.1
State: Florida
Posts: 126
THOR #1466
As I have done more than a few times on this forum, I will state that our 2014 Vegas was a year-long nightmare to make the coach safe, roadworthy and dependable. It took an entire year of frustration, traveling back and forth to clueless Camping World for warranty repairs, doing many repairs and adjustments myself, getting new driveshafts, front-end work, dozens of calls and disagreements with Thor, over 70 items wrong with the coach. Plumbing, electrical, fit and finish, and driveability problems made us cancel 4 pre-paid camping trips. My wife even got trapped in the bathroom while we were driving down the highway, when the door latch broke. The workmanship on the entire coach was terrible, and factory QC control was non-existent. This coach should have NEVER left the factory in the deplorable condition in which we received it.
In fairness, Thor did make good on the many, many repairs and warranty issues. But, sadly Camping World was totally unfamiliar with the Vegas, and the tech people were of little help in our run-through when we took delivery, and after, for the 50-60 warranty problems we experienced. Our unit was a first-year coach, but that is not an excuse for such shoddy workmanship and very poor design. The size and some of the interesting features attracted us to the Vegas, and those things we still like about the coach. After installing a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer and front-end alignment, and many other repairs and mods, we are now happy with the Vegas. If you buy new, I have seen at various RV shows, most of the deficiencies and screw-ups we experienced have been addressed on the new Vegas motorhomes. Make sure you examine the ENTIRE coach and all its systems very carefully BEFORE you hand over any cash.
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Old 05-10-2016, 10:57 PM   #7
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2015 Vegas 24.1
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,468
THOR #2601
We have a 2015 Vegas 24.1 and are completely happy with it. An absolute factor, and to me is the single most important one, is the quality of the service AFTER THE SALE from your dealer. Ours is exceptional. You'll find lots of complaints here on the forum. There are lots of folks here that have had great experiences as well.

Buying a new design can be problematic David in post #6 describes. But Thor has worked out a lot of the initial problems they had when they first introduced the Vegas and Axis model line. When I looked in the late 2016 early 2017 models yesterday at my dealer there is a striking improvement in fit and finish. They changed the way the bathroom door was hinged that caused many problems in early models. The windshield has been reduced in size so that there are much fewer compound curves that were prone to reduce stress cracks. They have stopped using Harris batteries. They use a Ford striped chassis with 6-speed transmission instead of the 5-speed, and some chassis are e-450 rather than e-350.

But again I go back to my first point -- research the service history of your dealer. If it's bad -- find another dealer. There is nothing worse than a dealer that has no idea how things work, or who have technicians that are not concerned with quality.

When you do decide on a purchase -- do an extensive Pre-Delivery Inspection. Take about 4 hours to inspect and make your dealer show you how everything works -- on shore power and on battery. And if the dealer is unfamiliar how the bed lowers, how the slide works, how the batteries are charged, how the TVs work on cable or antenna, and how the sewer line is connected -- by very wary.

Here is a link to a Vegas/Axis Owners' Manual and Checklist that I developed from lots of input from owner contributors here on the forum. I designed it to be a self-teaching tool for how things are supposed to work on the Axis/Vegas. I wrote it based on my 2015 Vegas 24.1, so there are variances with 2016 and 2017 floor models over that of mine. System wise it is pretty much the same for all models. The manual also contains a PDI checklist specifically designed for Vegas/Axis.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?page...HbjprCUauDwH4g
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Old 05-11-2016, 12:52 AM   #8
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Challenger 37TB
State: Kentucky
Posts: 1,032
THOR #1020
This is just my 2 cents or in the case of the Challenger 37TB $181,000 msrp. We truly enjoy our Challenger, spend a great deal of time living in it while visiting family. Last year we had more than 18,000 miles in 7.5 months on the road. The real horror stories we hear are generally from owners that have a poor service department. We were fortunate with ours at Paul Sherry and great support from Tom Overton at Thor warranty support. You can search here and on IRV2 to see the sort of problems we've had, but all were resolved.

Here is a reality check though.

First: if you buy a home and take it down the road at 65 MPH and don't have something loosen or change positions - you're fibbing or you aren't checking very close.

Second: the physics of whole wall slides aren't good, especially when you put a refrig on it.

Third: the features that you get for $s at Thor are very good (again IMO). I had a Forest River 351. Again a decent machine but HORRIBLE warranty support.

Would I buy my Thor again - you betcha.

Good luck. Find the features and floor plan you want and go for it.
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Old 05-11-2016, 02:28 AM   #9
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: XG 32 Omni
State: Missouri
Posts: 842
THOR #4243
Bev And Bigben, great responses. Thank you for the feed back
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Old 05-11-2016, 02:59 AM   #10
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Brand: Still Looking
State: Alabama
Posts: 333
THOR #3789
We just came back from a RV resort where most were Motorhomes, 300K and up. I talked to a few that just bought new at MHSRV here in Texas, they all have a list a mile long with things that need to be fixed. One has a dish washer that doesn't work and they were told to get with Whirlpool the manufacture and they would fix it. Whirlpool said sorry but they would only fix it if it was in a house not a MH. He was told they were not meant to be inside of motorhomes. Now he has to drive over a 1000 miles to the manufacture of the MH and they will just replace the hole thing. He spent close to 400K for his rig and it really looks nice. We have had 4 RV's so far and all have been new, they all had their problems, but once you get them all fixed you should really enjoy what you have. We have had ours for a few months now but so far I have been able to fix everything through the Thor tech support hot line. And now we are really loven it. LOL.... we even talked to a couple that had a 1998 Thor and said they are loven it...
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Old 05-11-2016, 03:02 AM   #11
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Brand: Still Looking
State: Alabama
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Would I buy my Thor again - you betcha.

Good luck. Find the features and floor plan you want and go for it.
YES I ALSO FEEL THE SAME...
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Old 05-11-2016, 11:39 AM   #12
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 35C
State: South Dakota
Posts: 1,132
THOR #3761
We are new Thor owners, having just purchased a Hurricane 35C in early April. We did a LOT of research (over 2 years) and came to the conclusion that for a certain price point, there were only so many options and manufacturers to choose from. We had purchased a "starter" used class A 3 years ago and were ready to move up. Interestingly, the new Thor has a very similar floorplan to our previous motorhome with a single driver side slide in the front and an opposing passenger side slide in the bedroom, which we thought was perfect for us.


So far, Thor has been very responsive and great to work with. They have followed up on the sale with calls and emails and seem to want to make the customer happy. They have answered my questions and provided schematics and drawings that have helped me manage through some misunderstandings on how things worked and where the wiring and plumbing was located. In the month that we have owned our Thor, we have added 400 watts of solar panels to the roof and a satellite dish along with a WiFi repeater.


I would say go for it. Find the floorplan you want (as others have said) and enjoy!
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Old 05-11-2016, 11:42 AM   #13
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.4
State: Michigan
Posts: 9,837
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Count me as a happy camper with Thor as well.

Funny thing: We do an annual stay at a local campground with some friends & relatives--some of whom we only see during that stay. When we first showed up with the Axis (as proud new owners) everyone else there also had new units (it was like the year of the new camper!). One of the other new units was a new non-Thor motorhome. They had more issues than we've ever had with the Axis and they had specifically not purchased a Thor unit because one of their prior 5th wheels was a Thor and they had problems...

I think the best advice you'll find on here is: Find a good dealer. That is key. Crappy dealers will kill the experience for you and horde your camper for months while they wait for parts (you should never ever leave your camper at a dealer if they are waiting for parts--tell them we'll bring it back when the parts come in). In addition, keep in contact with Thor. This way if there are issues (not saying there will be but if) having a Thor contact can help expedite the parts process, and the repair.
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Old 05-11-2016, 12:10 PM   #14
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Challenger 37TB
State: Kentucky
Posts: 1,032
THOR #1020
Curious how many Senior Members of the this forum have very similar advise. Hmm - wonder why.
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Old 05-11-2016, 07:05 PM   #15
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: hurricane 32n
State: Florida
Posts: 799
THOR #4158
I don't think you need to be a senior member, I have had other brands, and am still on the forest River site, many problems for all units no matter the brand or type. An owner of a RV needs to learn sytems and how they work. They also need a good dealer to help them with there problems. The RV industry is one with little Quality control, so having said that, study your brand and learn as much as possible about your unit. I really like my Thor and would refer a new person to the Brand. Just my 2 cents!!!
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Old 05-11-2016, 09:02 PM   #16
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Four Winds 35SK Super C
State: Missouri
Posts: 108
THOR #711
One for the thumb on our Thor 35SK
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Old 05-11-2016, 09:27 PM   #17
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Model: Challenger 37TB
State: Kentucky
Posts: 1,032
THOR #1020
Jegdrum5050 - yep still a member over with the FROGs as well. My observation about membership status wasn't meant to offend. Your recommendations indicate an owner that has been there, done it and remembers.

I meant to include in my recommendation one very similar to yours - if you don't want to figure out the systems, life becomes more complicated. Don't care how much you pay for a coach you have water, waste and electrical systems. With just routine use,problems will occur. How those problems are resolved will be a direct reflection of your understanding. Imagine a sewer that stops up for any one of a number of issue - crap all over the place.
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Old 05-11-2016, 09:50 PM   #18
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: hurricane 32n
State: Florida
Posts: 799
THOR #4158
Thanks for your comments bigben. This forum has a lot less complaints from the other one 😀
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Old 05-12-2016, 02:04 AM   #19
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Tuscany XTE
State: Washington
Posts: 20
THOR #4257
We have a 2014 Thor Tuscany. It seems that where ever were go many people ask us how many days our coach has been in the shop (not because it is a Thor). Having many discussions with owners of many brands, we believe that ALL new coaches have problems. We have had a few. Our big slide trashed out. Needed a whole new slide system that took over a month to get. It was discovered that the factory did not align the slide properly. It was fixed under warranty and works better than ever. Also discovered that the slides need to be lubed regularly. You need to remember that you are a moving earthquake going down the road.
All in all, we are happy with our coach.
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Old 05-12-2016, 02:50 AM   #20
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.1 KC's Big Box
State: Kansas
Posts: 2,171
THOR #3510
Our situation with our new 2016 Axis, in January, is well documented on this forum. We had a major problem...which turned out to be the fault of an
unscrupulous dealer ... CW of Stafford, MO...robbed a part from our coach..sent our coach to CW of KC (Grain Valley) for our purchase. Once we figured out what our problem was...(thank you everyone involved in the discussion)..through this forum and having an independent RV repairman come to us...CW of KC replaced the part in 2 hours.

We have had 2 previous motorhomes, one a Thor product (loved it), and a toyhauler.
As several others have stated...there is so much to learn about each unit you might own. On our Dorado...we created an owners manual, which we passed on to the person who purchased it.
**Thanks to Ed, we have an excellent owner manual available for the Axis/Vegas models.

We have made 4 short trips in our Axis and are looking forward to our summer 2016 !

WE LOVE OUR AXIS !!
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