Love our Challenger - Page 2

mustang94 · 04-06-2016, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstankov

When I had my 37ND in for service the Master Tech mentioned Thor took out the pantry to make room for the wider side by side refrigerator in the 2016s.

One reason we bought this one is because of the bigger fridge so we will just turn one of the storage compartments in the basement into a pantry when needed, no big deal....

bigben · 04-06-2016, 09:25 PM

Don and Elke - that's the beauty of the huge basement, lots of room to do just that. We have the small refrig and still use the basement for storage.

Enjoy!!

Mothertype55 · 05-13-2016, 04:02 AM

Hi,
I am researching and plan to purchase as soon as our house sells (went on MLS today). So far the Challenger 37TB looks like the best fit for me, as long as we get enough for our house, otherwise I will have to settle for a Windsport 35C. I would like to keep the cost down, and just saw a new 2015 for sale in VA.

Is your coach a 2015? Is there anything added in 2016 that you think would be worth the price difference. The price in the ad was $128,000.

Thanks,
Linda

BillT · 05-13-2016, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mothertype55

Hi,
I am researching and plan to purchase as soon as our house sells (went on MLS today). So far the Challenger 37TB looks like the best fit for me, as long as we get enough for our house, otherwise I will have to settle for a Windsport 35C. I would like to keep the cost down, and just saw a new 2015 for sale in VA.

Is your coach a 2015? Is there anything added in 2016 that you think would be worth the price difference. The price in the ad was $128,000.

Thanks,
Linda

I paid 128,000 for a brand new 2016 37TB. I'm not sure what the improvements made from 2015 to 2016, but if you can spend 131,000 you should be able to get a 2017. Best prices I got were in Virginia at RV Outlet USA and Lazy Days in Tampa Florida.

Let me know if you need anything else,

Bill

**EA37TS** · 05-13-2016, 11:16 AM

Linda,

Is the 128K the asking price or the price the dealer is willing to negotiate down to?

The biggest differences I've seen between the 2015 and 2016 are the addition of roller shades for the drivers and passengers side windows in the 2016 and changes in exterior color. Later 2016s may have the 6 speed transmission depending on the year of the chassis.

mcbsunny · 05-14-2016, 02:39 AM

We ordered our 2017 Challenger 37TB which will be delivered next week and paid 129,000 for the RV itself not counting tax and fees. I am really good at negotiation.

We were looking at the 2016 but they were already starting to switch over so we were able to get the 17 for the same price they were offering us the 16. We ordered Feb 4th and it just cleared the Audit and testing department and now just waiting on a driver to deliver it to CA.

Mothertype55 · 05-14-2016, 03:49 AM

Wow, thanks for all the info. $131,000 sounds like a great price, and VA is not too far away from us.

I think I will probably be looking at 2016 or 2017 by the time this house sells.

I have a friend that says diesel pusher is the way to go, but I haven't seen a floor plan that works for us and I don't think they are in our price range any way. Have y'all had problems with steep hills pulling a toad? I have a son in Crested Butte, CO that I would like to visit, and a daughter who lives on the side of a steep hill in northern CA.

Also, I just saw a picture of the bedroom cabinets and it looks like the washer dryer space is too small for a stacked unit. Is it one of the combination units? If so, how satisfactory is it? I saw one in a Fleetwood and it looked like it would only hold one pair of jeans at a time. I did not want to have to use laundromats.

I am new at this Internet forum thing. I hope I am doing this correctly.

Thanks!

**EA37TS** · 05-14-2016, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mothertype55

Wow, thanks for all the info. $131,000 sounds like a great price, and VA is not too far away from us.

I think I will probably be looking at 2016 or 2017 by the time this house sells.

I have a friend that says diesel pusher is the way to go, but I haven't seen a floor plan that works for us and I don't think they are in our price range any way. Have y'all had problems with steep hills pulling a toad? I have a son in Crested Butte, CO that I would like to visit, and a daughter who lives on the side of a steep hill in northern CA.

Also, I just saw a picture of the bedroom cabinets and it looks like the washer dryer space is too small for a stacked unit. Is it one of the combination units? If so, how satisfactory is it? I saw one in a Fleetwood and it looked like it would only hold one pair of jeans at a time. I did not want to have to use laundromats.

I am new at this Internet forum thing. I hope I am doing this correctly.

Thanks!

You are doing just fine on "this Internet forum thing".

Our 37ND is the same where the washer/dryer would have to be a combo. We did not get one and don't want one. We decided many years ago that we would travel with one week's worth of clothes each and make one weekly trip to the laundromat. With the interior storage in our 37ND we found that we could pack for 2 weeks without a problem.

We looked at diesel pushers before looking at the Challenger. We wanted an outdoor kitchen on any unit we purchased and unless we want to pay 400K or more all DP outdoor kitchens we lousy at best and most literally sucked in layout and construction. Haven't been out West yet but the Challenger handles the mountains of VA and NC just fine. This weekend we are getting the coach ready for our Memorial Day trip to the mountains.

RV Outlet in VA had a 37ND in stock when we were looking and it was in the color combo we thought we wanted. However, when we looked at it the color combo actually hurt my eyes and to me looked hideous. The exterior had too much white and the interior had way too much red. We found another color combo in VA (half the distance away) and that dealer matched RV Outlets price, included a RV Show discount (the coach had just returned from a show in NOVA) and then got the Thor Regional Rep to discount an additional 4K. After negotiating about 1K worth of add-ons we settled and purchased last January and took delivery Feb 2, 2015. IMO, it helped that we were buying in the middle of winter and the dealer had an over crowded lot at the time.

One thing I found it that the price quotes when you start looking may not be the price quotes received when you are ready to buy, especially if you start looking 3 to 6 months or longer before purchase.

Mothertype55 · 05-14-2016, 11:42 PM

Hi Mcbsunny,
What improvements does the 2017 have over the 2016? If it takes a while for our house to sell, we may be looking at 2017.

Did you get the washer/dryer and is it a combo unit? The 37TB floor plan looks like the best one for us, but I haven't seen one in the flesh yet. My primary concern with this layout is the placement of the tv right next to the sofa at a 90 degree angle. Seems like you would get a sore neck if you were sitting on that end of the sofa...is the tv on a bracket that will pull out from the wall and swivel?

Where in CA are you located?

Thanks,
Linda

Mothertype55 · 05-14-2016, 11:53 PM

Hi Dave,

What "add ons" did you get. I'm sure there are things I'm not thinking of.... The only options listed in the brochure are dual pane windows and the oven. I thought the dual pane windows might offer more sound proofing, but the salesman I spoke with warned me that the flexing of the coach is hard on the seals and can cause leaks and clouding of the windows. I am currently dealing with this issue with a plant window at home, so I am feeling risk averse on this one. Has anybody gotten feedback from others about these windows?

Thanks,
Linda

ddm64 · 09-11-2016, 09:56 PM

I was just cruising the forum to find out if anyone else has had this exact problem. I was just on a short getaway this weekend and had the drivers and passenger side dual pane windows fogged up. it was very difficult to see the drivers side mirror through all the moisture in the window. Has anyone else had this issue and if you did, please advise. I am planning to call Thor tomorrow and discuss as my coach is only 4 years old and you would think that these windows should hold up longer that that. by the way these are HEHR brand dual pane driver and passenger windows.

oldgold · 09-25-2016, 03:11 AM

Need some help..
We just purchased a new 36TL. I have to haul our toy hauler to go trade/pick up the new coach. I think we are getting a good deal as I agreed to 124k and I made them throw in a car dolly and vent covers for the roof fans.

First question.. Is that a good deal? From what I read above, it appears like it is.

Second question.. Can the 36TL haul a F250 on a car dolly without an issue? It's about a 3.5 hour trip slightly uphill. I know the hitch is 8,000. The truck weighs about 7,000. The coach would be brand new and not loaded really with anything other than fuel and me. I just didn't want to put it to the limit on the first drive home. I figure I'll just take it easy and see how it goes.

Third question.. The dealer knows there are some issues with this particular coach. Front door sticks, had a couple of dings here and there. The ford AC wasn't completely charged. Nothing I saw was a deal breaker by any means. Anything any of you have seen after your purchase? I'm fairly handy, but I didn't want to pay someone that much money and have a ton of issues. I get campers have their problems as this will be our third RV purchase. It's just our first coach purchase and I'm a little on edge with the $$ involved.

We are really excited. Looking forward to talkin with y'all!

KCook · 09-25-2016, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldgold

Need some help..
We just purchased a new 36TL. I have to haul our toy hauler to go trade/pick up the new coach. I think we are getting a good deal as I agreed to 124k and I made them throw in a car dolly and vent covers for the roof fans.

First question.. Is that a good deal? From what I read above, it appears like it is.

Second question.. Can the 36TL haul a F250 on a car dolly without an issue? It's about a 3.5 hour trip slightly uphill. I know the hitch is 8,000. The truck weighs about 7,000. The coach would be brand new and not loaded really with anything other than fuel and me. I just didn't want to put it to the limit on the first drive home. I figure I'll just take it easy and see how it goes.

Third question.. The dealer knows there are some issues with this particular coach. Front door sticks, had a couple of dings here and there. The ford AC wasn't completely charged. Nothing I saw was a deal breaker by any means. Anything any of you have seen after your purchase? I'm fairly handy, but I didn't want to pay someone that much money and have a ton of issues. I get campers have their problems as this will be our third RV purchase. It's just our first coach purchase and I'm a little on edge with the $$ involved.

We are really excited. Looking forward to talkin with y'all!

I think your F250 is to much to tow with your challenger, its a lot of weight on a new RV.

On question 3, your going to find some issues. Keep a running list. Make sure your coach has the entry step has the fix.

KC

KCook · 09-25-2016, 04:53 PM

PS congrats on the new Challenger

oldgold · 09-25-2016, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCook

I think your F250 is to much to tow with your challenger, its a lot of weight on a new RV.

On question 3, your going to find some issues. Keep a running list. Make sure your coach has the entry step has the fix.

KC

I figured it would be pushing it. I can't even find a dolly rated for my truck. Started asking buddies if they would drive my truck back from the dealer next weekend. What was up with the step? This one seemed to be working fine.

KCook · 09-25-2016, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldgold

I figured it would be pushing it. I can't even find a dolly rated for my truck. Started asking buddies if they would drive my truck back from the dealer next weekend. What was up with the step? This one seemed to be working fine.

Recall, its worth asking the dealer about it.

KC

schreinertms · 09-25-2016, 09:16 PM

If I could do it all over again, I would camp near the dealer or in the dealers lot (assuming they'd be okay with that) and any issues with the unit would go right back the next day for repairs. I probably would have stayed near the dealer for several days as some issues don't show up right away.

Techn0 · 09-25-2016, 10:15 PM

When I picked up my Challenger 37LX last month, I stayed in Total Value RVs partial hookup site for 3 days. That allowed me time to go through everything and when I had issues, I just drove it 100 feet for the service/PDI team to look at and fix.

Need less to say, my wife and I are loving the new Challenger 37LX. Of course there are minor things that could have been fixed if Thor had a better QA/QC but overall pretty happy. I hope to see you all out on the road sometime over the next year.

Hoosier 26 · 10-14-2016, 01:15 AM

Good evening to everyone!

I have been lurking a bit here and now that I have ordered my coach I thought I would post a question.

I will be taking delivery in mid December in Central PA. Not really the best time for a shake down run. I am buying from a CW store locally as they are the closest Thor dealer (about 30 mins from home). My pricing was good because I bought during the Hershey, PA RV show and spoke directly to the Regional Sales Manager for Thor.

My question is, "What can I do at the delivery to be sure the coach is in good working order since I will not be able to operate the water systems due to freezing temps that are sure to be an issue here in December?"

I should mention this is my first RV.

Thanks in advance for your insight,

Hoosier 26

JamieGeek · 10-14-2016, 01:22 AM

Google predelivery inspection and take the checklist with you to the dealer. Make sure they go over everything when you pick it up. Make a list of things that aren't right and have the dealer sign off on fixing those. Do all of that before you sign all the paperwork and hand over your $$.

We picked up our unit in February in Michigan: Our dealer had it all set up inside their, nice and warm, service bay. They went through every system, ran the generator, etc. (forgot one: didn't run the water pump--it had a slight leak). They even winterized it in front of us so we knew how to do it (and that it was done before we drove away).

If you can get your VIN beforehand I would even contact Thor just to start that conversation going (ask for drawings, talk to warranty people, etc.). This will grease the wheels later if you already have cordial communications with them.

You may also like: