Newbie

[Ntrinh15]

Hi all from outside of Boston area. Married with 2 young boys. We Just purchased a 2020 thor ace 33.1 with 7800 miles. Hoping to get out on the road this year. Already noticed somethings that are bothering me….

[Ottosails]

Welcome to the group and congrats on your new rig. I grew up in Sudbury, MA, now living in AZ. Enjoy!

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by Ntrinh15

Hi all from outside of Boston area. Married with 2 young boys. We Just purchased a 2020 thor ace 33.1 with 7800 miles. Hoping to get out on the road this year. Already noticed somethings that are bothering me….

What bothers you?

[Scubawise]

Well will you use pink stuff or air to winterize?
What should I do
See image

[Ntrinh15]

Thanks Sudbury is a great town.

I bought this a private sale and drove it home at night 5hrs with heavy rain and gust winds. Probably not the best first time to drive a RV but definitely an eye opener. The headlights are terrible and I have what looks like low/high and maybe fog lights but there is no switch for the fogs on the dash. Last night I turned the headlights on and pulled the switch out like my old Ford and the switch fell apart 😳. The camera setup at night cant see anything even worse in the rain. Clicking from the wiper motor 5hrs was annoying. I know i wont be driving in the rain all the time. Just didn’t realize how noisy the cab can be. Im sure there will be other things as I go and i will start to address. Just hoping we made a good investment for future memories.

[coachray]

Welcome to the forum.

[twovillagers]

Welcome to the forum! You will find a number of posts that will be helpful to you.

I can't comment on the headlights. I have never driven my Vegas in the dark and will not do it. I just do not believe it is necessary. You shoud not be hearing constant clicking from the wipers.

Yes, the cab is noisy! There are a large number of posts about sound proofing. I spent time insulating the underside of the engine cover ("doghouse") and installing a heavy rubber backed carpet matting in the cab area. This made a huge difference and reduced most of the sound to wind noise.

You should also read the posts on suspension improvements. The first thing to do is have an alignment. i guarantee you need it (coaches are not aligned after manufacture) and it will help a lot. I installed a Bilstein steering dampener in place of the Ford part and also added front Sumo springs. All are well worthwhile and not overly expensive.

BUT, don't ever expect your RV to drive, or be as quiet, as your family car. I never drive over 400 miles per day and plan my routes to avoid high stress driving whenever possible. I'm on the road early and I'm always in the campsite by 3-4PM.

My last suggestion is to spend a lot of time reading old posts on this forum. You will learn a lot and can fix many of your annoyances as you enjoy camping with your famly. There is a learning curve and research and time will get you through it.

[Ntrinh15]

Yes wasn’t trying to drive at night however Fridays weather was the same wind gust in NY to MA with snow. So I took the rain instead. I will definitely look into the sound dampening. I don’t expect quiet I drive trucks and they have there share of noise. But looks like ill be able to get some good info here. Thanks

[Jimbo56]

Welcome. You bought a kit. Time to make it your own.

My first suggestion is to add the year and model of your MH (you gotta learn abbreviations also) to your signature. It will allow others on this site to provide better answers.

[Jimbo56]

Yours is built on a Ford F53 chassis. The post from the guy with an axis is spot on except his is on a lighter duty chassis. You say you’re a truck guy. Yours didn’t come with a steering stabilizer. Get it aligned. Have the front tire/wheels balanced. Preferably on the vehicle. Add a steering stabilizer. If you can’t then the truck shop can install it. Search cheap handling fix on this site. Do it. Or have the truck shop do it. Don’t take it to a RV dealer for work unless absolutely necessary. Find an independent guy/outfit near you for work that you can’t do. Luckily you didn’t discover water leaks. Good. Search on this site for other fixes.

Enjoy the experience.

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Ntrinh15

Thanks Sudbury is a great town.

I bought this a private sale and drove it home at night 5hrs with heavy rain and gust winds. Probably not the best first time to drive a RV but definitely an eye opener. The headlights are terrible and I have what looks like low/high and maybe fog lights but there is no switch for the fogs on the dash. Last night I turned the headlights on and pulled the switch out like my old Ford and the switch fell apart ��. The camera setup at night cant see anything even worse in the rain. Clicking from the wiper motor 5hrs was annoying. I know i wont be driving in the rain all the time. Just didn’t realize how noisy the cab can be. Im sure there will be other things as I go and i will start to address. Just hoping we made a good investment for future memories.

I replaced the headlight bulbs with LED's. I put a Roadmaster steering stabilizer

[paulwadley]

Welcome to the forum. There are many here with a lot of experience willing to help out. Ask your questions and answers will be provided. Enjoy the new experience. Go onto the Thor owner's web page and register your coach. You can then download all of the schematics and manufacturer's instructions/books for your coach.

Paul

[Ntrinh15]

Originally Posted by Bill Johnson

I replaced the headlight bulbs with LED's. I put a Roadmaster steering stabilizer

What kind of rv do you have?

[Bill Johnson]

2021 Ace 33.1

[Ntrinh15]

Do you have any pictures of the install or after?

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Ntrinh15

Do you have any pictures of the install or after?

I'll check but I don't think so. Today is supposed to be around 50, I'll try to go out and and get some photos

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Ntrinh15

Do you have any pictures of the install or after?

It's an easy install, remove the 2 bolts on the spring and put the bracket on. Install the other bracket on the drag link, and put on the steering stabilizer. The spring nut are tight, you might need a long breaker bar. They are upside down but you can watch a YouTube video or go to etrailer website for video. Amazon had the best price when I looked

[Ntrinh15]

Thanks for the pictures. Have you noticed a major difference in the driving?

[Bill Johnson]

Originally Posted by Ntrinh15

Thanks for the pictures. Have you noticed a major difference in the driving?

Honestly I didn't notice that much difference but my chassis was changed in 2021 so it might make a big difference on yours. Some of the front end parts are different than yours, Like where the end of the stabilizer connects, your bar goes straight across and mine turns up but the stabilizer just fit on mine.

[MJC62]

Welcome aboard!
Before you open the wallet and start parting with your hard-earned cash do the easy stuff first. 1) load up the MH with the gear and people you intend to travel with and get it WEIGHED. 2) after you have a loaded weight adjust the tire pressure for that weight loading 3) with the rig still loaded to travel have the front end aligned. 4) if after the alignment the handling still doesn't suit you can do the Cheap Handling Fix (moving the links on the torsion bars to the rear holes) there are numerous discussions on the CHF on this and other forums use the search feature to access the threads.
After you have done the above if the handling still isn't where you would like, you can start suspension modifications, adding the steering stabilizer, sumo springs, heavier shocks etc. I suggest one mod at a time.
In our case the alignment and the CHF made our ACE handle much better. I drove it for the last 2 seasons over 10,0000 miles without any further suspension mods. After 6000 miles on a western trip through the Rockies I will opt for a Roadmaster steering stabilizer before any long trips this season. I believe the steering stabilizer will help relieve some of the stress on me when driving in heavy crosswinds.
Above all else enjoy the journey! That is why you bought a MH!
Mark