Is anyone happy?

[aa9zz]

Like you, I sold a more expensive unit (2010 Airstream, Interstate 3500) and bought a 2014 Axis.


I have been very happy with my purchase. Sure, there have been a few problems and they have been take care of so far.


If I had it to do over again I would do the same thing.(Although I would like to have kept the Mercedes Diesel engine.)


We traded so we would have more room for the grandkids and still be able to drive the unit into a McDonald's or on the city streets.


Pick the unit with the floor plan you like and fix what needs to be fixed on the new unit while it is still under warranty. Enjoy your life on the road and don't look back.

[Beacher]

Originally Posted by aa9zz

.......We traded so we would have more room for the grandkids and still be able to drive the unit into a McDonald's or on the city streets.......

While I appreciate the smaller sized motorhomes, I'm a "little" confused.

Most city streets have 40 foot transit buses on them? And, school sports team buses almost always can stop at a McDonalds?

[Nursx2]

I fix everything myself, have not had any major issue YET!!!!!


As I live 90 minutes away from the nearest Thor dealer/service, it is a logistical pain. After reading stories about peoples RV's being at the dealership for months, I fix it myself and come here to bitch about it!

[thor293]

Originally Posted by Nursx2

I fix everything myself, have not had any major issue YET!!!!!


As I live 90 minutes away from the nearest Thor dealer/service, it is a logistical pain. After reading stories about peoples RV's being at the dealership for months, I fix it myself and come here to bitch about it!

LOL, I think that is what the majority of us do. Most stuff is simple and not worth the headache. I am the same as you Nursx2, our dealer is 2-1/2 hours away and they didn't do a good job delivering the coach so if I don't have to I prefer not to let them work on it.

We are really happy with ours, I don't expect that to change.

[brianh442]

Is anyone happy??

I think on an RV forum, that's a loaded question!!

I don't think any of us buy into these things expecting to have big problems! This was our second Thor purchase, our first was a really good experience! This one, not so much!

From my perspective I think when folks start having problems and they are not getting resolved to their satisfaction, they will start doing research to see what other consumers are doing! For me, I was interested in what other owners were going thru, if they were able to find solutions or get a resolution to their problems.

I think this is a great forum, I've learned a lot from others experiences and when I can, I try to pass along any tricks or tips I've learned along the way. I think it's only natural for people to vent when they are frustrated.

It appears there are varying levels of expectations out there, I've seen posts were a person will say I puchased XYZ and it had all these problems, so I just fixed them myself! And that's great! Not all of us are that mechanically inclined! Then there are those, who want every little item fixed, all the way down to a loose screw.

For me, spending well over $100,000 for a coach, I was expecting a little better quality and workmanship. And when your investment is out of commission for repairs for extended periods of time, close to 6 months during the first year of ownership, it becomes a little unsettling!!

Believe me, I'd rather be out sitting at the campground sipping some Pendleton whisky and smoking a cigar by the fire!! I can't, my RV is back in the shop, has been for over a month now! So, here I am, no RV, I've hired an attorney and just letting him do his work!!

Just another perspective!!!!

[Beacher]

Originally Posted by brianh442

... I can't, my RV is back in the shop, has been for over a month now! So, here I am, no RV, I've hired an attorney and just letting him do his work!!

Just another perspective!!!!

Just out of curiosity, why would your leave your $100,000 motorhome at the dealership for a whole month? It took less time to build from scratch.

I painfully learned with my first RV, (a PopUp), to NEVER leave an RV for service unless the labor is ready to be performed within a few minutes after I drop it off and, I will pick it up that night, (or within 24 hours).

RV owners cannot generally depend on the RV dealership warranty service writer to perform their duties to the customer's benefit. They prefer that you hand them the keys to your rig, and they will get back to you when they are good and ready.

I am the PITA customer who babysits the warranty service writer to perform their tasks:

- Obtain factory warranty authorizations, (including pictures).
- Order the correct parts.
- Schedule the knowledgeable technician for the repair.
- Verify the receipt of the correct parts with the technician.
- Schedule the service bay, and all tools are available on a specific day.
- Juggle all the other customer repairs, and find a suitable slot for yours.
- Contact the RV owner to bring in the RV, ONLY after all the background work has been completed.

After five new RVs, I'm the PITA customer who leaves his Fleetwood Pace Arrow for a warranty transmission replacement at 7.a.m. and picks it up with a fresh wash and wax at 4:30 p.m. the same day.

It can be done. I have had to do the babysitting every warranty period, (after my first lesson).

[blw2]

A lot of that depends on the dealer I would suppose..

The only one I have dealt with was CW.
At least at this one location, they will not lift a finger to do ANYTHING based on phone call, my pictures, etc.... except make an appointment for drop off.

In theory, I could maybe have made such an appointment dropped off, with the understanding they will do their inspections and picture taking and I'll picker her back up the same day. More realistically they would want it for a few days.... to be followed by another appointment when it comes time to do the work....
but
in reality there very well could be the need for another interim appointment for drop off because thor needs clarification or an additional picture, then a pick-up, then wait for the parts.... etc....

That's why I dropped mine off and watched it sit for approx a month before any real work was done....
and also why I have opted to fix a few minor things myself because they just won't even order a part before they see it.

It's a broken system for sure....

[kbz]

We just bought a Thor Ace 29.3 and are taking it for our first trip in 1.5 wks. So excited. Only thing we are having trouble with is the radio. We didn't get any manuals or material on it so had to go to the model of radio and download it. I hope we don't encounter any issues on our first trip but know it's expected.
My husband said it's easier to drive than the 30 ft KZ Frontier we use to pull.
Can't wait to try it out -- soon!!

[brianh442]

Oh in a perfect world!!

Every rig is different! In my case, I've had issues with the slide. On the first occasion it was at the dealer over two months, they had to remove the slide and replace all of the moving parts, as well as install a roller that was not installed during initial construction. There was no way I could drive it off the lot that afternoon, after all the slide was removed from the coach!!!

In the latest ordeal, Thor sent a technician from the factory to work on the slide and some other issues. Once again they were replacing all the major moving parts in the mechanism. Now, it appears the slide is stuck in the extended position and they can't seem to get it to work!! At least it's at the shop! The service rep said they've been scratching their heads the last few days trying to figure it out, this was after the Thor rep worked on it!!

So I guess, sometimes it's not as easy as it seems!!

I guess this is why I've gone the legal route!!!

[mikensallyt]

Well I/we love ours (son, daughter and grand kids). Nothing major that we have found just a few items that needed tweaking (warranty). I'm not surprised. When you buy a new car/truck you run into some of the same things. The only problem I didn't like was when the salesman told me anyone could repair my Class A. Well that was stupid. I knew if my Chevy or Toyota needed repair you always took it to a Chevy or Toyota dealer. Duhhh, I sure missed this one. The wait for repair is long though. Make an appointment and wait lol and then wait some more. I don't think its all related to broken parts though, many are in for scheduled maintenance and upkeep requirements. Lol, I got tired of CW asking me everytime I called if I bought my Class A from them. I was always telling them no. Well, I lied last time I called to check the status and said, "oh hell yes". Let's see if that works. Since they have all the required parts. Guess I will have to tell them that their records are wrong, sure hope they don't check and they don't check these forums. I want to get on the road, lol. Such a newbie lol /Mikey

[OHpink2]

We are just anxious to use our new motorhome. It has been in for repair 3 times. Our kids are coming to Florida for Easter. We were planning a trip with them but Bucky is sitting at the Ford dealer because of a drive shaft problem. Anyone know how long this takes? The Ford engineer said it was angled and causing a vibration......not out of balance as they thought at first. We spent a lot of money to have fun. Didn't expect this.

[EA37TS]

We are on the shakedown of our new 2015 Challenger 37ND. Left Virginia and travel 250 miles to an FMCA rally in NC. Spent 4 nights with a simple leak on the kitchen sink drain. I ate some spinach and fixed the leak without the use of tools.

Enjoyed ourselves so much we decided to go to Charleston SC instead of home. Pulled into the KOA on Monday evening and the living room slide extended 4 inches and froze. The controller was flashing the code for a short. Talked to Thor and then called a mobile tech. 1st Choice RV had me operational by 10:30 Tuesday morning (slide motor came unplugged). No problems at all for the remainder of the stay in SC. Left SC this morning and fought rain and 15 - 20 mph winds all day. High winds on the I526 bridges out of Charleston created some fun but the coach handled well (much better than my class C ever did).

Stopped for the night in NC and was able to level, extend slides, and hook up all systems in less than 15 minutes.

The only issue I am having is with the radio and camera. It keeps loosing power when traveling on a rough surface road.

Are we happy? Heck yes.

[mikensallyt]

[QUOTE=DMDSKI;6628]ISatellite Device - choose your words carefully. I wanted an enclosed satellite dish with automatic dish reception, (stealth). What I got was a free open air DirecTV dish and automatic dish reception capability. I signed..
DirecTV - each TV has its own DirecTV box. I am able to turn off the coach DirecTV boxes when not in use and turn them on. I use DirecTV at home and it is a easy procedure. My coach DirecTV boxes have been off since November and they will get turned on in March 2015 until November again. QUOTE]

Wow, newbie here and I've been reading up on the satellite devices that can be used. There is so much info out there and I want to make a great choice. Since I also have directv at home I just might go with them instead. Who does all the hook ups/install when you buy this system btw? I guess its time for more "googling". tks/Mikey

[BCRacing24]

Originally Posted by samoht

We have driven 10,000 miles in 2 years with our 2014 Thor ACE. I added a Safe-T-Plus steering stabalizer and reprogrammed the engine to do away with the double downshift on hills with the cruise control.

Care to elaborate ?? Interested in doing the same.....

[thor293]

Originally Posted by kbz

We just bought a Thor Ace 29.3 and are taking it for our first trip in 1.5 wks. So excited. Only thing we are having trouble with is the radio. We didn't get any manuals or material on it so had to go to the model of radio and download it. I hope we don't encounter any issues on our first trip but know it's expected.
My husband said it's easier to drive than the 30 ft KZ Frontier we use to pull.
Can't wait to try it out -- soon!!

Congrats KBZ, we also bought a 29.3 first of the month. Been busy tightening, modifying and straightening out after transferring all out stuff from other motorhome. Amazing how much stuff that was! enjoy!

[thor293]

Originally Posted by BCRacing24

Care to elaborate ?? Interested in doing the same.....

I added the safety steer stabilizer to mine. It make the coach a bit easier to steer and safer if you have a blowout. The engine reprogramming is a tuner you can buy, the most popular (I just ordered one last Monday) is the Custom Dynomemeter Chassis Tuning Products and Services - 5 Star Tuning tell them you are a member on irv2 and they will give you a discount. I paid $379. It reprograms and allows all 5 gears to be used, locks up the converter soon and stays in longer and controls the rpms on shifts. In general it smooths the power and adds about 25 or so hp. All on 87 octane. When you talk to them tell them how you drive if you tow and if you specifically want more power or better mileage. They can write a special tune for what you want but it comes with a standard tune just for motorhomes.

[JamieGeek]

I had a 5 Star tune on my F-350. They do a really great job and have excellent customer service.

[thor293]

Originally Posted by samoht

We have driven 10,000 miles in 2 years with our 2014 Thor ACE. I added a Safe-T-Plus steering stabalizer and reprogrammed the engine to do away with the double downshift on hills with the cruise control. I am looking to add air tabs this spring. We love the floor functional plan. Since we camp with our grandkids often, The sleeping is handled comfortably. We did have several warranty repairs which was handled by Camping World. We previously owned a 27' Four winds C and really enjoy the ride of the ACE compared to the Four Winds.

Before you buy the air springs at least check out the Sumo Springs matrix. I installed them and they are pretty awesome. It cushions the ride and helps with sway. I ventured away from the air springs due to just maintenance. Probably not much but I just took the possible out. Cost is about the same. If you are looking to balance the coach from side to side then the air springs is what you need. Just some FYI

[samoht]

Originally Posted by BCRacing24

Care to elaborate ?? Interested in doing the same.....

I used "5 star tuning's" program to reduce the downshifting problem. The "airtabs" are to aide with wind and passing trucks along with fuel milage. The steering stabalizers were to add stability and assist in the case of front end flat possibility.

[Ron]

My wife and I bought a used 2011 Thor Huricane 31D from Camping World. We almost bought a new Winnebago Vista but we liked the floor plan of the Hurricane better and it was $25,000 dollars less. We have put around 6,000 miles on it in 13 months and it has been trouble free with the exception of the drive home from the dealership when I lost all power and the engine quit. I called CW and they came right out to the side of the freeway where I was stranded. One of the techs knew that there was a service bulletin on the RV Custom products Battery isolator and did the repair on the side of the road. They told me to bring it in at my convienience to have the repair double checked since the tech accomplished the service bulletin from memory. When I got home, I looked up the SB and it was done correctly so I never took it back. CW also gave us some store credit for our trouble. I just remembered that the entrance step linkage broke also. I repaired it myself with ball joints from the local hardware store. In the 13 months of ownership we have taken 6 trips. I'm having a blast doing little upgrades and additions. I like doing that kind of stuff though...if you don't like tinkering, you may find yourself in the shop more often. I would much rather do a repair myself (if possible) than to take it to the shop. Even under warranty it doesn't make sense to drive to the dealership to have a 50 cent part put on when it costs you money in gas to drive it there.