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Old 07-10-2016, 01:13 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.4
State: Oregon
Posts: 51
THOR #4548
List of All I'll Need After Vegas/Axis Purchase and Approx Cost

Hi All,

Today, I went to my local dealer who finally got in a few Vegas's for me to check out in person for the first time...yay! I accidentally connected with a wonderful sales guy very much because he used to be the service department manager so is very knowledgeable where many sales people know less then I do after doing my research, and he is low key and will not be pressuring me to do anything before I'm ready. He was attentive and got it about the things that were important to me right away = rare. I'm thrilled that he is likely to be a key person in my eventual purchase and, perhaps, I wouldn't have to be traveling all over the country to get what I want.

I appreciate that he pointed me to other A classes for comparison that are also 27' or under. Most notable was the Winnebago Sunstar 26HE. For what looks like similar price? a much more solid coach and this might the case with all of the A's based on a different chassis, heavier for sure, with many amenities that I will have to purchase separately with Thor, already included. He pointed out shorter turning radius as a plus. I don't know exactly what accounts for the weight differences but for sure better insulation (which might be helpful in very cold climates and with muffling the generator sound), higher quality interior elements, more underneath storage, and the extras, like auto leveling included. With that said, however, a serious lack of counter-top area, especially no storage for kitchen things in this model, it's super dark inside having to do with windows and placement issues are all problems for me.

As I stepped outside of it and saw a Vegas alongside another A class, I could suddenly see how much narrower it was and shorter (as in height) and I really like that smaller footprint; I like it a lot. So, I think I'm going to be willing to pay more (assuming I'm correct about comparing price and not sure I am) for, in some senses, getting less in order to have what suits me best and go with the Axis/Vegas: the original plan.

With that said, can I get a little help listing all of the things I will have to buy immediately to make this work and roughly the cost:

1. How to level my new coach? I want to have the option to be off the beaten path so will be necessary. Blocks? Automatic systems? Jacks? (What is easiest? What is cost efficient?)

2. I will need things to stabilize the ride. Steering stabilizer? Safe T Plus? How much and is this the kind of thing I can negotiate for dealership to throw in installed? Maybe if one can't do too much to negotiate price one can make up for it by asking for stuff like this and to install it?

3. I hope to avoid the expense of paying for RV storage so that leaves my driveway (yet another compelling reason to go with the Axis/Vegas = size of thing in my driveway and how much my neighbors will hate me. I can have an aluminum type cover built or buy one of those cloth ones? Anyone have experience/suggestions here with these? Installing a fabric one must be a pain I imagine and will require me to be on the roof?

4. Extended warranty: Generally speaking buying warranties on many different kinds of items is not efficient. I have a feeling though that buying an extended warranty on this will matter, especially in light of reading about the many experiences of you all who have suffered with breakdowns and repairs. Any thoughts on this and/or your experience with getting extended warranty or not?

5. Roadside assistance: Is sometimes included in more complete extended warranties?

6. Extra long hoses for connecting to water and shoreline for power as I plan to not always back into spaces so the front of the coach has the more scenic view and this will have me on the opposite side of the hookups. Any thoughts about pros/cons of this?

7 Anything I missed?

thanks in advance for your consideration and responses

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Old 07-10-2016, 01:50 AM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Axis 24.4
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THOR #1150
1. Leveling: I use the Lynx levelers (the Lego blocks). Getting hydraulic ones installed is a little pricey (there are a few on here with various power levelers).

2. Start with an alignment and then drive it to see if you feel you need more. Many people (like myself) simply leave it as is after the alignment. Others install more. I would try to get the dealer to include the alignment.

3. We pay for storage as our neighborhood association forbids storing the unit at our house.

4. Carefully read the fine print on the extended warranty. They usually specifically spell out what they cover and what they don't. If you are reasonably handy you can save $$ by handling things yourself.

5. A year of roadside assistance is included with the Axis/Vegas units (as they have no spare)

6. Pro is: You have more hose. The Con is: You have to store more hose. We have some hose extensions and have used them once.

7. Get Ed's manual
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Old 07-10-2016, 02:44 AM   #3
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THOR #1765
1. You'll want a good 30 amp surge protector for sure.
2. A good tired pressure monitoring system can be a life saver.
3. I park my Axis at home in the Florida sun. With two good coats of wax a year and tire protectors, I parked my Vegas in the Florida sun and I saw no degradation of the fiberglass or decals in the two years. I had a full cover for my previous RV, but had to get up on the roof to put it on and take it off. As I got older, I was not willing to do that anymore.

4. I installed a clean dump waste disposal system which uses a garden size hose for discharge after going thru a macerator. It comes with 15' of hose and the whole thing fits in the compartment with the discharge pipes. It is easy to add more hose if you want to. That way you only need an extra piece of water hose.

5. I've found over the years that I wanted a longer electrical cord more than sewer or water, but I don't carry two.

6. I agree with all of Jamies comments, especially #7.
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Old 07-10-2016, 03:16 PM   #4
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THOR #1150
Ok after our two posts you are probably wondering to yourself "What is Ed's manual?" LOL

Here is a link to the crowd sourced Axis/Vegas user/owner's manual complete with dealership PDI checklist (e.g. "Ed's manual"):
https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?...HbjprCUauDwH4g
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Old 07-10-2016, 04:39 PM   #5
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Model: Axis 24.2
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THOR #1944
Little addition to the great tips already given... on the alignment, if you can get 5.5 or more caster it will likely reduce the desire for more handling fixes.

Also, you mention leveling off the beaten path ... Consider one or more of those power jack pads sinking into the dirt and there's limited clearance under the rig to free it. Great feature for hard surfaces but for soft ground you'll need to place large pads under all 4 jack feet vs. just some lynx levelers under a tire or two. I suggest 3 Lynx sets for the conditions one might encounter off the beaten path otherwise 2 sets is typically plenty for most improved campgrounds.

The aluminum cover ... the rest are a PITA!

When the included roadside assistance nears expiration, check with your insurance and see if they offer coverage. Was very inexpensive for us.

I'm not a fan of extended warranty offers. They are pushed very hard so make up your mind before being bombarded with the sales pitch during signing.
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Old 07-10-2016, 07:41 PM   #6
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We are currently camping at Fort Story military RV park at Virginia Beach. Send me an email at bevedfelker@live.com and I'll forward the latest version of the manual when we get home next week.
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Old 07-10-2016, 07:51 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TyCreek View Post
...

Also, you mention leveling off the beaten path ... Consider one or more of those power jack pads sinking into the dirt and there's limited clearance under the rig to free it. Great feature for hard surfaces but for soft ground you'll need to place large pads under all 4 jack feet vs. just some lynx levelers under a tire or two. I suggest 3 Lynx sets for the conditions one might encounter off the beaten path otherwise 2 sets is typically plenty for most improved campgrounds.
...
I found an old sheet of 3/4" 5-ply plywood and cut 4 1' squares to put under my levelers.
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Old 07-10-2016, 08:38 PM   #8
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THOR #4775
Leveling?

I have not had any issues regarding leveling for my Thor Vegas 24.1 model. Could someone explain the need to level? Is it for the refrigerator?
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Old 07-10-2016, 08:56 PM   #9
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Nelly,
Definite yes on the refrigerator. Also, you may find that the door won't close if the chassis is not level. If there are two ov you, you can mabually level with boards and a lot of hand signals. Since I am solo, the levelers were a better/easier option for me.
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Old 07-10-2016, 09:36 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbrown View Post
I found an old sheet of 3/4" 5-ply plywood and cut 4 1' squares to put under my levelers.
Can you describe your soft uneven ground setup with positioning those squares?
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Old 07-10-2016, 09:46 PM   #11
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THOR #2271
I put them under the levelers to spread the load.
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:50 PM   #12
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THOR #4775
Where did you get your custom sink cover? Is it round? That would sure help with the counter space. Thank you for your reply.
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Old 07-10-2016, 11:36 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Nelly4185 View Post
Where did you get your custom sink cover? Is it round? That would sure help with the counter space. Thank you for your reply.
I had the sink cover made by Swain Butcher Blocks. It is round. His work is stellar.
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Old 07-11-2016, 02:42 AM   #14
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THOR #1765
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelly4185 View Post
I have not had any issues regarding leveling for my Thor Vegas 24.1 model. Could someone explain the need to level? Is it for the refrigerator?
I have owned a Vegas and Axis for two and a half years, driven them almost 30,000 miles, stayed out in them over 200 days and I bet I have not used my leveling blocks a half a dozen times. Only once can I remember having a problem with my fridge and that was when I parked in a hardware parking lot to watch a parade in Alaska. Levelers are nice to have and I have a set of the plastic ones, but most of the time I have not needed them.
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Old 07-11-2016, 02:47 AM   #15
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THOR #4775
Good to know. I will buy an inexpensive set just to have on hand in case I need them.
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Old 07-16-2016, 06:59 PM   #16
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.4
State: Oregon
Posts: 51
THOR #4548
Thanks Everyone

Thanks for all of the helpful info. I did get the manual and downloaded that immediately so do have that.

I don't know why, except for the first response, I didn't see all of the subsequent ones but have them now.

At the moment have saved a search on RV trader for the unit I'm interested in for model year 2016 and 2017. The differences in pricing make no sense to me at all. There are 2017 for similar pricing to 2016's and where many, if not most, units are in the 70,000 ranges, there are some that are 100K. What up with that?

I also just found the thread on the 350 vs 450 chassis and the possibility that there might be v8's out there alongsie v10's; yet another bewildering set of things for me to consider or ignore.

Yes, for the leveling blocks, as well as future having to work on figuring out how to tow my car (4 wheels down Subaru Outback manual transmission), I am doing this solo so have to take that into consideration. Good to hear that need for leveling might not be great but having the blocks on hand; a good thing.

Will worry about figuring out towing at another time = another expense in a long line of expenses to attend to.

Yes, the having to be on roof to put on a cover seems not good. Worth the added expense of an aluminum type one or do they even make canopies that are heavy enough to work and not as pricey?
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Old 07-17-2016, 12:24 AM   #17
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Model: Axis 24.1
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THOR #4119
sink cover

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelly4185 View Post
Where did you get your custom sink cover? Is it round? That would sure help with the counter space. Thank you for your reply.
We found an old Lazy Susan 16" in diameter and will place a 13" ring under it so that it does not move off the sink. Our plan is to paint it. Should work just fine.
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Old 07-17-2016, 12:48 AM   #18
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THOR #2142
Karwask,

Good luck with your decisions, and choices. Right now the V8 option is more in the realm of speculation/hopes/dreams???

For my two cents: please check your house batteries if they are Harris Brand negotiate for another brand. My biggest headache was due to those batteries. After all the finger pointing was done, it was Harris's excuse that they were not responsible for the way the batteries were treated before I purchased our Vegas so they would not honor their warranty.

Save yourself some grief.

Doc
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