Sooo new to RV's it hurts.

[Kevin C]

I just found and joined this forum as I have been perusing various RVs online and have bee interested in the Class A Thor Vegas/Axis. I want something on the shorter side and was surprised they come in at about 27 feet.

I originally was looking at the Cs then my wife likes the Bs but they're crazy expensive so I started on the As..

Never RV'd before but thinking of things to do without jumping on a plane. Also, we love music festivals and there are quite a few within driving distance from our home in VA.

Already found and downloaded Mr Felker's guide for future reading.

About me... I'm a Brit that moved here in 2011. Started in Florida then Denver CO, Richmond VA and now 30mins south of Charlottesville VA.
Married and have a few poochies.

Look forward to mining all the valuable info on here to help with my purchase.

[Pete'sMH]

Do give the Bs consideration. We traded our class A for one and like it much better. Easier, quieter and safer to drive. Cheaper to keep and no slides, rubber roofs or other complexities to worry about.

[EA37TS]

Welcome to the forum.

[Fil]

I have a Class A, 2017 Axis. Right Length, Right Towing. Here's the problem. Coach builders are not vehicle builders. The driver's cab in a Class A is poorly constructed compared to cabs built by the chassis providers. They are flimsy and poorly integrated. The romance of a vehicle where you stroll from the coach into the operator's station, ginormous front wind screen for sight-seeing by your co-pilot and the sense of spaciousness is what keeps Class A's so popular. Here's my specific list of issues with Class A's.

1. Plywood crash protection - which is not protection at all
2. Poor fit and finish. Cheap plastic and rattles everywhere.
3. Mystery wiring on the stripped chassis. Good luck if you need to debug.
4. Giant windscreen - nice while parked - nasty driving in the blazing sun.
5. Flat side windows - house of mirrors reflections when maneuvering
6. Really questionable seats with poor adjustability.
7. Cheapest possible head units - prone to failure.

[HMCSW]

Originally Posted by Kevin C

I just found and joined this forum as I have been perusing various RVs online and have bee interested in the Class A Thor Vegas/Axis. I want something on the shorter side and was surprised they come in at about 27 feet.

I originally was looking at the Cs then my wife likes the Bs but they're crazy expensive so I started on the As..

Never RV'd before but thinking of things to do without jumping on a plane. Also, we love music festivals and there are quite a few within driving distance from our home in VA.

Already found and downloaded Mr Felker's guide for future reading.

About me... I'm a Brit that moved here in 2011. Started in Florida then Denver CO, Richmond VA and now 30mins south of Charlottesville VA.
Married and have a few poochies.

Look forward to mining all the valuable info on here to help with my purchase.

I thought I wanted a SuperC. We have a 2021 Aria 3401 and it fits out needs runs great. Loaded with 4 people 2 retrievers and towing an Escalade EVS or the Jeep and get 9-10mpg. 8.6mpg going from Washington to Palm Springs with mountain passes. Figure out what you need: how many nights away, how many nights in any location, do you want to tow and what to tow.

[DavidEM]

Originally Posted by Fil

I have a Class A, 2017 Axis. Right Length, Right Towing. Here's the problem. Coach builders are not vehicle builders. The driver's cab in a Class A is poorly constructed compared to cabs built by the chassis providers. They are flimsy and poorly integrated. The romance of a vehicle where you stroll from the coach into the operator's station, ginormous front wind screen for sight-seeing by your co-pilot and the sense of spaciousness is what keeps Class A's so popular. Here's my specific list of issues with Class A's.

1. Plywood crash protection - which is not protection at all
2. Poor fit and finish. Cheap plastic and rattles everywhere.
3. Mystery wiring on the stripped chassis. Good luck if you need to debug.
4. Giant windscreen - nice while parked - nasty driving in the blazing sun.
5. Flat side windows - house of mirrors reflections when maneuvering
6. Really questionable seats with poor adjustability.
7. Cheapest possible head units - prone to failure.

I have a 2021 Axis 24.1 and mostly agree with the foregoing. RVs today are like cars from 70 years ago- manufacturers threw them together and dealers had to fix them. Today, when was the last time you had to take a new car back to the dealer to fix an assembly error or anything for that matter. The only things we have had to do to our last few cars is take them in for recalls and even then those only affect 1% of buyers.

I have fixed about a dozen assembly defects so far on my Axis.

But I do like the giant windscreen even when driving directly into the sun. Down to 20-30 degrees the top glass shading deals with it. Below that I use the night shade partially down.

David

[coachray]

Welcome to the forum

[Travelin' Texans]

After fulltiming in a 40' 5th wheel for 10+ years we've settled down again & have been looking for something to just spend a few days or couple of weeks in, here's our thoughts so far from our search.
A B class is about as easy to maneuver as anything on the market, get much better fuel mileage, but #1 they are VERY expensive, #2 to live in even for a couple days would be cramped & if you had to spend all day inside due to weather for us it would get to be very claustrophobic, youd have to go outside to change your mind. #3 little to no storage.
Class Cs are a little bit more roomy than a B depending on length, still fairly easy to maneuver, equipped for towing a vehicle to sightsee, a bit better price, you lose about 6' of living area due to the sunken cockpit & still not much storage inside or out.
A small class A would be our choice. Still able to easily get around, plenty of storage inside & out, all of the floor space is usable as typically the cockpit seats are usable once parked, same chassis as a class C so very close to the same mileage & ability to tow.
Class A diesel pusher is the best of everything except the price & maintenance. If fulltiming again it would be in one of these, but not what we're looking for.
Still haven't decided what to do, but there's our take on what's available.

[MJC62]

Welcome aboard.
We have owned a B, a B+ (C without the cabover bunk) and now an A. Each rig has had its positive and negative features. Personally, I don't like driving a true class C. To me the cabover makes me feel like I am driving in a tunnel.
The B was great for its ease of driving & parking. Downside was storage.
B+ had more storage and was still easy to drive the Chevy chassis it was built on. Downside for us the model we owned was on the smaller side so adding a toad was pushing the chassis to its limits.
The A was purchased with the specific goal of extended retirement travel. We bought the smallest true class A,(the ACE 27.2), that was available at the time. It has plenty of storage for our needs and the chassis with its V10 powerplant have the capacity plus the giddy-up needed to tow our Jeep Cherokee.
Each of us have our own requirements in a motorhome. As we grew older our needs evolved. When we owned the B and B+ we towed a boat. Now that the boat is gone we prefer to tow a vehicle rather than have to unhook the MH every time we want to sightsee or go out for a meal.
As this is your first motorhome take your time and pick what works for you. I suspect whatever you purchase it won't be your last.
Have fun & good luck with your search

[paulwadley]

Welcome to the forum. We started out with a Class B back in 2015 and then moved into a Class C in 2018. In March 2022 we traded up to a Class A(2022 Thor Miramar 37.1). The class B was nice for quick 1-2 nights. The Class C had two slide outs which was great for more interior room. Now the Class A has 3 slide outs, two full baths and bunk beds. We could live full time in our Class A. It is all about your needs/wants and desires out on the road.

Paul

[EA37TS]

Purchase what makes you and the other half comfortable and happy. What others did or think is their preference and opinion only, and may not work for you.

Enjoy the journey and May your travels be safe.

Originally Posted by Kevin C

I just found and joined this forum as I have been perusing various RVs online and have bee interested in the Class A Thor Vegas/Axis. I want something on the shorter side and was surprised they come in at about 27 feet.

I originally was looking at the Cs then my wife likes the Bs but they're crazy expensive so I started on the As..

Never RV'd before but thinking of things to do without jumping on a plane. Also, we love music festivals and there are quite a few within driving distance from our home in VA.

Already found and downloaded Mr Felker's guide for future reading.

About me... I'm a Brit that moved here in 2011. Started in Florida then Denver CO, Richmond VA and now 30mins south of Charlottesville VA.
Married and have a few poochies.

Look forward to mining all the valuable info on here to help with my purchase.

[NurseNellie]

RVs, in whatever form makes you smile, are wonderful! Between our previous 28' Class C and our new 22E Class C, we have driven to Alaska and Nova Scotia and everything in between; used it as our campsite at car race tracks; tailgated; visited relatives; taken the grandkids to the park so they had a place with a clean potty, a tasty snack, and a quiet spot for a nap. Once you have it, you start discovering all the fun possibilities because for most of us, all you need is to add some clothes and food; and you're ready to go anywhere!

[RACarvalho]

Originally Posted by Kevin C

I just found and joined this forum as I have been perusing various RVs online and have bee interested in the Class A Thor Vegas/Axis. I want something on the shorter side and was surprised they come in at about 27 feet.

Welcome to the Forum.

Before buying our MH we strongly considered a Class C but end up on a bigger A because we are 5 and we love people (had 9 adults + kids inside in a rainy day for birthday party...).

I recommend start by forgetting price and focus instead on what kind of use you intent, what features you think are a must have and what are desirable, then deciding on a floor plan and then looking at Motorhomes.

Budget limitations can be addressed by buying used.
More important is to buy a MH that will perform what you want it to do because ALL of them are a compromise.

We love the internal space and two sofas in our layout but in order to achieve that, almost all external storage space we have is located under a slide which requires us to squat every time we need to get something there...
The only reason that is ok for us is because we love the internal space we got, other people with different priorities would hate all the squatting .

Get what you love and learn to live with the compromise...

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Kevin C

I just found and joined this forum as I have been perusing various RVs online and have bee interested in the Class A Thor Vegas/Axis. I want something on the shorter side and was surprised they come in at about 27 feet.

I originally was looking at the Cs then my wife likes the Bs but they're crazy expensive so I started on the As..

That is your answer.

We did the EXACT same thing but we had rented 40' and Class C before. My brother had a Class B but he only used it to go to kid games on weekends where he was spending all days. It was not practical for us because we literally had more room in the Lincoln Navigator. We had everything in our Navigator for a camping trip found in Class B including portie pottie and shower. Yes parking was easy if that is important.

I believe it was the 28Z Chateau that we wanted 1st. We never could find one we like until going to MHSRV, because they had what they said was the top of the line Thor Class C ( I believe it was a Optimum)? We get there and fall in love with it and it starts to rain & get trapped in the new RV on the lot. 5 mins and we must have have seen 9 leaks

So when the sun came back out we walked around the large lot and ran into a new 2018 ACE 29.3. To this day, I think the ACE is the best overall design. I don't know why Axis & Vegas never got in the mix for us, but we wanted the ACE 29.3. I joined this forum just like you and just read and read the forum; and then started asking lots of questions. Knowledge is Power and I was armed with it. One thing I learned is you will read a lot about the quality and inferior mfg of RV's. But like buying a used car look it over make sure everything is sound and accept the risk for you may have missed (EVEN IF NEW RV). We went about 18 months before we finally closed on our Class A 29'. Three times we had deposits across two dealers in Texas, but neither deal closed. One was a 2018 ACE 29.3, and the other 2 were 2019 Windsport 27Bs. It has been about 4 years for us, and I don't regret anything. All the deals I walked away from I had the backing of the masses on this forum. I had that Fekner guide with me in Florida , I had told the dealer in advance how anal I was going to be about PDI. I truly believe to this day they additionally checked everything on my list; so that the 6 hours I spent checking everything, I could find no wrong.

From your words, it translates to start with the smallest Class A you find (27' - 28'). The challenge is to find one that is trouble free.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[Redsand]

Welcome mate. You're in the right place for good information.

[Jimbo56]

Find a 2018 or 2019 used Freedom Traveler A27. Perfect for me, wife, 2 schnauzers. Fits in a lot of smaller state parks. Has 6000 lbs of tow capacity. I replaced the cheap sofa with manual recliners. We’re getting ready to do a 27 National park, 3 month tour towing a Kia Sorrento on a dolly. 2018 and 2019 are identical and built pre Covid. 28’ long.

[mikenlor]

We LOVE our 2017 Vegas 24.1, drives great, feels good on the road andhas plenty of space for 2 of us and 2 dogs. I think most of the "kinks" have been worked out of it as last several trips have been problem free, but that's no guarantee.
Sadly, because of failing health, we have to sell out wonderful second home, check the classifieds.

[AJMike]

Welcome to the forum!

Here's the thing. Choosing an RV is very personal, and what works fine for one person may be poison for someone else, so consider that when reading responses. What works for someone else may not work for you.

When we went looking for our current RV one of the RVs we looked at was the Axis/Vegas with the 24.1 floor plan. I loved that floor plan, the feeling of openness in the living room, the separate bedroom and the general feeling of space everywhere, but when I drove it I realized that I could not see the dashboard info display that I would use for map navigation and the sales guy told me that it could not be moved. Perhaps it is because I am short (5' 6" or 168 cm for those of the metric persuasion), but when I was comfortable driving I could not see that info display, so we decided to look elsewhere. The reason I mention that is that you may need to check for things that don't immediately come to mind when looking at RVs. Always drive one before buying. Road noise and general handling are very important.

Some things to consider when looking.

Side and back cameras are really, really helpful and worth extra cost if needed.

A roof ladder is good to have (some smaller RVs don't have them).

Inside storage space becomes more important the more frequently you travel, so always look for cabinet and closet storage.

A good bathroom layout is more important than you might at first think.

Solar panels are good if you do much dry camping, but not very helpful if you stay at campgrounds that provide shore power, The same is true for upgrades like Lithium batteries.

Diesel engines will provide you with much better fuel economy and more torque when cilmbing hills, but are much more expensive to buy and to maintain. Consider gas as well as diesel, even with a Class A. I have nothing against diesels, and our current RV is a diesel, but consider gas as well.

Slides are tempting, and if you stay in one location for long they give you much more room, but they also have their disadvantages. First, slide motors break and then you have to manually close the slide before moving. Second, slide toppers tend to flap and make a lot of noise in high winds, so if you camp where there will be strong winds you may have to close the slide(s) anyway. And because slides are closed when you travel consider the layout of the coach with them closed. People walk around when the coach is in motion, and you need to be able to move comfortably.

Lastly, (well, not really lastly as there are dozens of more comments I could make), RVing is a wonderful experience, and has changed the way my wife and I take vacations. We have been doing this now for about 20 years and never get tired of it, so have a lot of fun, get out of the house and see the country. Make memories that will last your lifetime and just ENJOY.

And stay safe on the road.

[Pabs4]

I agree with EA37TS. You have likely already done your research, and narrowed down what you both think you will like. We purchased a 2019 24.1 Vegas as our starter RV because we didn’t know for certain if we would enjoy traveling in an RV. It was the right decision for us. We kept it for three years before trading it in for a bit larger diesel pusher. We were able to use our Vegas for several short trips without having to purchase a tow vehicle. It is very easy to park and maneuver in most locations. When we made plans for a 2 week trip to South Dakota and Yellowstone we knew we needed to have a toad. Our Vegas was built on the E450 chassis, and performed great towing a Jeep 4 door wrangler in the mountains. Many people have their Vegas/Axis for years and are completely satisfied with the size. It’s a personal preference. Just be prepared that you will likely need to add some steering upgrades before you feel completely comfortable driving it in any type of wind, and near to passing tractor trailers. Also, I think it is important to be careful in choosing your dealer. We were very pleased with our dealer when we purchased our Vegas, but our last dealer has been less than stellar. Good luck to you both, and welcome to the forum!

Pam