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Old 01-06-2017, 02:43 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Synergy
State: Florida
Posts: 39
THOR #6194
Synergy Newbie

Hubby and I are going to do the Pre-Delivery Inspection on a new Synergy Class C tomorrow at General RV in Tampa.

So far, General RV has been very straightforward to deal with. They helped us search for proper RV insurance, and found rates lower than what we had researched on our own. (Be sure to ask about Veteran's discount from Safeco)

We chose the Synergy because it was nimble to drive, but had capacity to tow. Should be a bit more comfortable than our tent and air mattresses. Appreciate any/all advice as we are novices to RV.

Starting a FB page for Synergy/Siesta owner and Wannabes for sharing joys, sorrows, tips and tricks, if anyone like that format too.

Thank you to those who have shared info on this page. Best wishes for happy trails.

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Old 01-06-2017, 03:11 AM   #2
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Smile And Thanks to Ed Felker

Many thanks to Ed Felker who recommended General RV and shared his experiences.

Ed's manual for the Axis is fantastic, and will be kept in our files, as it has many pearls of wisdom and helpful checklists applicable to any RV.

Thanks Ed!
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Old 01-06-2017, 11:49 AM   #3
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The Synergy is nice RV. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The water heater is propane only on-demand. From what I've read in the forums there is a "Sweet Spot" in adjusting the shower flow from the cold & hot valves. It takes a bit to find that spot so that the water heater provides the perfect shower temperature.

My manual doesn't have anything in the PDI checklist for the on-demand water heater. Be sure that General shows you how it works and how to set it up.
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Old 01-06-2017, 12:26 PM   #4
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Puppy, Congratulations on your new coach, very good looking!!! Hope you and your family enjoy a lot of good times!
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Old 01-06-2017, 08:04 PM   #5
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Delayed

Had some concerns regarding the unit on inspection so will inspect a different unit next Friday.
Not sure if we did the right thing but appreciate General RV working with us.
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Old 01-15-2017, 01:42 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puppypaws View Post
Had some concerns regarding the unit on inspection so will inspect a different unit next Friday.
Not sure if we did the right thing but appreciate General RV working with us.
Would like to know how things went Friday. We bought a 2017 Synergy 2 days ago from General RV at an RV show outside Chicago. Won't get it until April it's under construction in Elkhart.
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Old 01-15-2017, 11:50 PM   #7
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Purchase of the Synergy - success!

The Pre-Delivery Inspection on Friday went much better second time around. The unit was in better condition. We used Ed's PDI Checklist. It helped us find three minor problems:
1. Left blinker malfunction (fixed by a new fuse)
2. window washer fluid squirted 6 feet ahead of the unit (fixed by rotating the squirter)
3. drawer under microwave did not close firmly

They fixed 1&2. They forgot to fix #3 and we forgot to double check it before we drove off the lot. Not a big deal. They will fix it next time we come in.

It turned out to be a bit of a blessing to get to have a unit demo'd twice. Each employee was very good and had pearls of wisdom to impart to us rookies.

We purchased the CoachNet insurance for one year (About $129 via General RV). new buyers at General RV get a 10% discount for 10 days. Our demo guy took us around and helped us fill a cart with some essentials: sewer hose, clean water hose, black tank treatment pods, a Max vent cover for the bathroom fan, an insect prevention screen for one of the openings. They installed the vent cover on the roof while we waited.

All and all it was a good experience. We went home exhausted, but not so exhausted that we didnt set up the TV and watch the evening news in the new RV in our drive way. The amplified antenna is so good that we were able to watch NBC news.... we can't get that signal inside our home. We went to bed early, knowing that we would need to start our trip from Florida to Tennessee on Saturday...and hadn't even started to pack.

To be continued...
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Old 01-15-2017, 11:58 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puppypaws
All and all it was a good experience. We went home exhausted, but not so exhausted that we didnt set up the TV and watch the evening news in the new RV in our drive way.
I love the excitement of sitting in your new RV in your driveway....endless possibilities await...

Congrats and have fun.
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Old 01-16-2017, 12:04 AM   #9
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Maiden Voyage of the Synergy

Saturday we packed lightly for our return trip to our home in East Tennessee.

Our biggest dilemma, where to put the corgi? Our corgi is a bit oversized for the breed, 29" long but only 12" tall. We ultimately put a pop up fabric pen between the two twin beds, put a memory foam pad in it, and made that his safe place.

I was nervous driving the Synergy, since the largest vehicle I'd ever driven previously was a mini-van. Turned out, it really wasnt that hard. The Sprinter engine has enough get up and go that I could put the rig wherever it needed. Took a little getting used to not having a rear view mirror, but I learned that the convex mirrors at the bottom of the mirror assembly were terrific. Once I got the mirrors in the right place, I felt confident changing lanes.

We made it up to the Eagles Rest RV campground in Valdosta, Georgia just as the sun was going down. Took my Dad's advice to try to get settled for the first time before dark. We popped into a grocery, bought a small frozen pizza, diet coke, and an IPA for dear hubby. We got to our space and found the campground very nice, with pull through spaces. Hubby got the water and electric plugged in while I walked the Corgi. We got settled inside and hubby baked an awesome spinach pizza in that little convection oven. He fiddled with the electronic gear and then we watched a Star Trek movie and had some microwave pop corn. We were tickled that the microwave/convection oven and the TV/VCR thingy worked so well. It was a great first night!

The next morning we had a little surprise....
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Old 01-16-2017, 12:18 AM   #10
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Rude Awakening, Alls Well that Ends Well.

We slept pretty well on our twin bed configuration....though I can tell I will be looking for a memory foam topper very soon.

It was a bit chilly in the morning, so DH fired up the furnace. Ahh... it worked! The unit heated up nicely, I stayed curled under the covers hoping to catch a few more ZZZ's since it was still dark.

Suddenly a shrieking smoke alarm! Evidently the brand new furnace was burning off a bit of ? not sure what it is in a new furnace? oil? and it set off the alarm. DH opens the door of the coach so he can look out and assure that the generator or something is not on fire. It was not.

Meanwhile, Ricochet the corgi, frightened by the alarm bolts out the coach door into the darkness. Oh no! DH, dressed only in boxers, runs out into the darkness after him. Fortunately, Ric came back immediately when DH called out "FRONT." Whew! Yes, dog training lessons pay off!

So we aired out the coach, reset the smoke alarm, and turned off the heater, and got changed into our day clothes, because there was no going back to sleep after that! (I hope we did not wake up the whole RV park.)

Once our jangled nerves were settled we were able to use the little Nespresso machine we brought, to make some coffee. Ahhh what a guilty pleasure to sit on the little love seat with DH, sipping a coffee with cocoa on a Sunday morning. I could get used to this RV camping.

Loving our Synergy so far. Hope all of you enjoy your rigs too.
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Old 01-16-2017, 12:25 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puppypaws
Suddenly a shrieking smoke alarm! Evidently the brand new furnace was burning off a bit of ? not sure what it is in a new furnace? oil? and it set off the alarm. DH opens the door of the coach so he can look out and assure that the generator or something is not on fire. It was not.
Yeah furnaces will do that. Have to burn off the dust and what not when new, and every spring after it hasn't run in a while and dust has collected.
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Old 01-16-2017, 12:33 AM   #12
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Super!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DogLovers View Post
Would like to know how things went Friday. We bought a 2017 Synergy 2 days ago from General RV at an RV show outside Chicago. Won't get it until April it's under construction in Elkhart.
Congrats on you Synergy order. I didnt realize there was a wait for them in some areas. It appears ours was manufactured in mid-December, and we took Delivery Jan 13. I am guessing we purchased just before the big rush of all the big RV shows.

We are enjoying our unit so far. I have written a bit about the experience below. Two new minor problems were uncovered today that we will work with General RV on when we get back to Florida in a few weeks:
1. The magnet on the bathroom doors are too strong. They pulled the strike plate out of the ceiling! I put bandaids over the magnets to try to attenuate their pull when I saw the plate was loosening, but alas, they were still too strong and 3 of the 4 screws in the strike plate have come out. I would recommend all Synergy users check if the doors close too strongly. Use tape or something to diminish the pull (by creating a non-ferro-magnetic spacer) before the screws start to pull out.
2. The airbag light has come on on the dash. Not sure if we messed something up when we rotated the passenger seat.
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Old 01-16-2017, 04:27 AM   #13
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Puppy -- glad things went so well for you. Sounds like your experience at General was pretty good. I know you'll enjoy getting out on the road and spendin quality time in the new coach.
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Old 01-17-2017, 02:59 AM   #14
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In case anyone else has a Synergy or Siesta, or is researching them, I started a FB page for owners/wannabe's
Please join and share photos/tips/tricks.
Synergy/Siesta Owners and Wanabes

https://www.facebook.com/groups/400714753604510/
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Old 04-01-2017, 01:08 PM   #15
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Model: Thor Tuscany 36 MQ
State: Indiana
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2 1/2 months after buying your new Synergy

Now that you have had your Snyergy for 2 1/2 months, how has everything gone? Any issues? Any pleasant surprises?
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Old 04-02-2017, 12:48 PM   #16
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2.5 month impression of Synergy

Quote:
Originally Posted by DogLovers View Post
Now that you have had your Snyergy for 2 1/2 months, how has everything gone? Any issues? Any pleasant surprises?
Hi Dog Lovers.
We Are enjoying the Synergy TT24.
We've done two round trips between Florida and Tennessee as we are in the processes of moving. Synergy, which we nicknamed Rocinante (plagiarized from Steinbeck and Cervantes), has been a Godsend. Yesterday we were coming back to Florida which requires passing through Atlanta on Hwy 75. As you know, there was a bridge collapse on I85 which worsened the traffic on 75. We were able to boondock at a Cracker Barrel in Cartersville and get up in the predawn hours to hit Atlanta. At 5:45am on a Saturday, we were able to breeze through Atlanta.
The Synergy handles well and the small convex mirrors on the lower half of the mirror assembly are terrific for keeping track of the classic blindspot areas. Synergy has a nice smooth engine that easily handles 70mph. However in high winds, I had to keep my speed much lower and just hang out in the slow lane as we were getting tossed around a bit. I met a seasoned trucker at a rest stop and asked him for advice re. windy conditions and he suggested keeping the rig heavy down low by keeping the fresh water tank full. (And drive a bit slower)
In general we find the storage space pretty good in the TT24. There is a very large rear under compartment that traverses the entire width of the rig. The over cab bunk is great for bulky items. We actually put my husband's upright bass in there for one of our trips. There is no factory ready way of securing things up there but we improvised a solution by using 1" straps looped around the hinges. We may ask the dealer if there is a way they can install some hooks we can use to fasten some netting across that area. We became acutely aware of the fact that RVs can roll yesterday. We saw two RV's completely upside-down on the side of hwy 75 during the journey. (I didnt see what type of RV or travel trailers...trying to keep eyes on road)
Our complaints are relatively minor: storage latches are of inferior quality and one already needs to be replaced, house door lock inferior quality (would love to replace these with quality latches if anyone knows who to go to for this), the wiring harness that is under the driver and passenger seat is too short to allow swivel, and will come loose...which will deactivate the airbags, the windshield wiper fluid won't spray. Design-wise, the doors to the bath are a crazy two door design but one must always open the left before the right....and one must have the right door open to get to the commode. Both doors are fasted with piano hinges with about 30 screws, so changing this out would be a nightmare. Would love to remove the overlapping wood trim so that each door could be opened without regard to the other. Not sure how to do that, as it appears to be glued on trim.
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Old 04-02-2017, 05:50 PM   #17
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Model: Thor Tuscany 36 MQ
State: Indiana
Posts: 936
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Talking

Glad your trips were ok. Sad to hear the latches and coach door hardware are not up to par. At this price level for a downsized coach I would have expected better. (which is why I paid more for a Mercedes chassis Synergy tt24 in the first place) We are actually downsizing from a Four Winds 31' behemoth the wife refused to drive at all. Our coach is due from the factory this month. Looks like one of my first stops will be at the local locksmiths to look into having the cargo and coach door latch/lock hardware upgraded.

As for your bath door query, I would start by making sure both doors will close and remain that way if the center molding were removed. Then using a power drill with a screw attachment to remove all the screws off the door with the molding. Take the door into your garage/work area and determine the best way to remove it with little or no damage to the door. It's so much easier to try to work on something on a saw horse or work bench than on your hands and knees in a space limited coach. Once the molding is removed by prying carefully or even cutting off with a small saw, you can take the removed part to the local hardware store to get a small can of matching wood stain to obliterate your remodel job. Then just reinstall the door. I saw a few posts elsewhere that indicated the Synergy had an issue with the bath door stops installed in the ceiling pulling out. Any problem with yours?

Convex mirrors are always good to have. Did you get the 3 way cameras on your coach? As for the wiring harness under the front seats being too short I'm wondering what a call to Thor would produce as a fix? Sounds like a simple double ended correct pug to extend the length a few inches would fix that.

I can tell you guys are real hardcore road warriors. Your husband carry's a bow (in case you have to hunt your own food) and your transporting a piano and a bass so you can strike up the band at a moments notice.

ps. Do you have a poodle named Charley?
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Old 04-04-2017, 05:08 PM   #18
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Synergy TT24
State: West Virginia
Posts: 155
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Puppypaws,

The bathroom door magnets are evidently a chronic design problem but my dealer fixed both ceiling plates by using more and larger screws. 12,000 miles later and no problems with the ceiling plates pulling loose.

How is the air flow from the cabover A/C vents? Mine was nonexistent and the dealer had to get Thor involved on "the fix" which amounted to adding two more ceiling vents in the gally area and blocking off the ductwork in the front vents where the go beyond those vents. Thor's oroginal design does not work and "the fix" is only marginally better.

Were you shown where the whole-house water filter is located? Mine was under the driver's side bed and could not be readily accesed. Besides, it wasn't where it was shown on the plumbing drawing so the dealer removed the filter housing and replumbed it with PEX. I would rather have the filter outside where I can see it anyway.

The baggage latches haven't been a problem and other than the several warranty issues the Synergy (a. k. a. Ming) has been great to use. We definitely plan to add another 10-12k miles this year if our funds and our bodies hold out.

I hope you enjoy your investment and perhaps we'll meet on the road somewhere "out there". 😊

Regards,

Ed and Robin L
w/Nina, Kitt and Mickey
2016 Thor Synergy TT24 3.0L
Beaver, WV
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Old 08-18-2017, 07:26 PM   #19
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I have the same issues with the hot water shower. General RV said that maybe creating more demand of hot water will help - open the sink hot water a little...
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Old 05-24-2019, 01:34 PM   #20
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State: Indiana
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Everything Works!

Ok it's been two years with the Synergy so it's time for an update. After the first summer dealing with leaking skylight, power loss, interior finishes, "bath door magnets" and the usual small issues everything is just great. Since then we have been to South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, South Padre Island Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina and a few states in between. No issues at all. Turns out we were right in choosing this coach because it really drives and handles the road well. In the Great Smoky Mountains we were pulling a small trailer with our Polaris RZR on it when a deer ran out in front of us. It was so close I had to stand on the brake then release when I could see our speed dropped enough to avoid a collision as he/she cleared the road. The Mercedes chassis with a big box on it handled the emergency perfectly. The Keurig still worked after bouncing off the floor and the Polaris stayed on the trailer instead of entering the bedroom. (Sure am glad I used 4 straps to hold it down on the trailer).

The dogs love the coach and so do we. Life is good.
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