Largest Thor dealer?

[AJMike]

My wife and I saw the Axis/Vegas floor plan a couple of years ago and really really liked it. We did not buy one at the time for a couple of reasons but we have been talking about getting one now. This may not be the best time to do so because of the current high demand for RVs; the Axis/Vegas basically is not even available where we live due to the demand and so we might have to buy out of state. There are some Thor dealers locally to do service, but no Axis/Vegas models available for display or sale.

People tell me that the single largest and supposed best out of state location for Winnebago RVs is Lichtsinn's RV in Iowa and I was wondering if there was a single largest and best Thor dealer that would be good to contact when we decide. I know there are a lot of multi-location dealerships for Thor, General RV being the one I know of best, but is there one best for out of state buyers? A place with god service able to do installs and upgrades on a newly purchased RV? And if so, who?

[cbach]

Can almost guarantee the largest Thor dealer is MHSRV here in Texas. Also believe they have the best pricing in the country, but service is virtually nonexistent and I wouldn't let them fix a sandwich.

[ducksface]

Largest has little to do with it all.
Call around and see who has one in stock.
Any dealer from three sales a month to three hundred a month could have the vehicle in stock.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by ducksface

Largest has little to do with it all.
Call around and see who has one in stock.
Any dealer from three sales a month to three hundred a month could have the vehicle in stock.

There are three reasons I asked about large dealers. First, they are probably better equipped to handle out of state buyers due to their volume, second, they probably have more extensive service organizations that can handle upgrades and modifications and, third, they are likely to have larger inventories and hence a better chance to find an Axis or Vegas 24.1. If they don't have one on site they might have the pull to get one easily.

There are some very small Thor dealers locally but I would not ask them to do stuff like solar installations and leveling systems since they don't have the service expertise. Larger dealers might.

[JamieGeek]

Not sure about being the "largest" but MHSRV is one of the better ones.

Another option is to go to a dealer "right across the street from the factory": https://www.totalvaluerv.com/

As far as "big" it is also how you calculate "big": No single General RV would be considered big but if you add up the chain its big (likewise for CampingWorld but I wouldn't trust them at all--some would say the same for General RV).

[Bob Denman]

Just my penny's worth of insight...
(It ain't worth a full two cents! )
Buying an RV based on the size of the Dealership is about like buying a car because you really dig the location of the ashtray...
Look for the Dealer that can provide you with the best service AFTER the sale.
It might be one of the Big Dealerships: it might not..
Good luck, and happy hunting!

[cbach]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Just my penny's worth of insight...
(It ain't worth a full two cents! )
Buying an RV based on the size of the Dealership is about like buying a car because you really dig the location of the ashtray...
Look for the Dealer that can provide you with the best service AFTER the sale.
It might be one of the Big Dealerships: it might not..
Good luck, and happy hunting!

Easy for you to say...you have a Tiffin

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Just my penny's worth of insight...
(It ain't worth a full two cents! )
Buying an RV based on the size of the Dealership is about like buying a car because you really dig the location of the ashtray...
Look for the Dealer that can provide you with the best service AFTER the sale.
It might be one of the Big Dealerships: it might not..
Good luck, and happy hunting!

If I were buying locally that is exactly what I would do. But since I am thinking about buying out of state and since I would not be bringing the RV back out of state for normal service it seems unimportant how good the service would be at the selling dealer other than the ability to do upgrades and modifications before the sale.

I get the regular services done at the local Ford dealer and warranty work done locally. Only would be buying out of state because no one here has any of these.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by cbach

Easy for you to say...you have a Tiffin

I try to not discuss my S.O.B. status in here...

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by AJMike

If I were buying locally that is exactly what I would do. But since I am thinking about buying out of state and since I would not be bringing the RV back out of state for normal service it seems unimportant how good the service would be at the selling dealer other than the ability to do upgrades and modifications before the sale.

I get the regular services done at the local Ford dealer and warranty work done locally. Only would be buying out of state because no one here has any of these.

As long as you've got a local dealer who can handle the service work for you:
But you might want to check with them as to how they schedule the servicing of RVs that they didn't sell. Some Dealerships put you to the "back of the line"...

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

As long as you've got a local dealer who can handle the service work for you:
But you might want to check with them as to how they schedule the servicing of RVs that they didn't sell. Some Dealerships put you to the "back of the line"...

Some will tell you to pound sand and send you on your way. They do not have to perform warranty work on units they did not sell. Read the forums. There are hundreds of. horror stories regarding this issue.

[DavidEM]

If I were going to buy a Thor out of state, I would not worry about service. Maybe MHSRV sucks at service but it doesn't matter. They advertise the lowest sales price on line for a 2021 Thor Axis 24.1, $85,999. It was $5,000 less a few weeks ago, but maybe it didn't include a few options they are touting today.

Buy the model you want with the factory options you want. Then spend the PPI time wisely and identify as many problems as you can. Don't pay them anything other than a deposit until they are fixed. Then go camping nearby for a few days. You will find more problems, but most of your leverage is now gone. So decide if you want to deal with the problems yourself or bring it back to MHSRV to fix. But be prepared to wait.

Then when the factory coach is as near perfect as possible, drive it home and add your solar and self levelers. You can shop for the right outfit to do the work. Solar is worlds apart from adding levelers. I would never go to an RV shop to add solar.

David

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

As long as you've got a local dealer who can handle the service work for you:
But you might want to check with them as to how they schedule the servicing of RVs that they didn't sell. Some Dealerships put you to the "back of the line"...

Hah! I bought my present RV at a local dealer and they still put be at the "back of the line" when it comes to service. Not likely to be any worse.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by DavidEM

It was $5,000 less a few weeks ago, but maybe it didn't include a few options they are touting today.

I suspect the difference is that there is currently a high demand for RVs and a shortage of available units. Supply and demand, and that is why I wrote that this is probably not the best time to look.

Fortunately we can continue to use our current RV if we can't find a deal that is worth taking.

[Pete'sMH]

Sometimes a small dealer is a better choice. They often are “family owned” and they well understand the need for excellent customer service because they know who their big competitors are. The only way they can stay in business is through repeat customers and that happens when customers are happy. They may not have the cheapest up front price but my money is on them for service and follow through. Talk to the service team and tour the shop to see if you have confidence in them.

[Lt Keefer]

MHSRV in Alvarado Texas is probably the biggest dealership and they sell a lot more than Thor. There prices are always low. There are also some strictly online dealers where you order then drive to their location to pick up. The best service department I ever experienced was from a smaller dealership in central Texas. They weren't so good on sales price but they were great on service. They sold/leased a lot of units to the film industry and I think that kept their prices high. My point is, service and sales are two separate parts of owning a RV. If you are buying strictly on price, go for the lowest. If shopping for service, go for that. I bought my last coach knowing it would never be at a RV service facility. I would fix everything myself that was strictly coach related. I have access to a couple of Ford truck centers that would take care of the chassis. Good luck.

[taylorbob1]

Check out a used Winnebago Via 25T (2017 was the last model year I believe)
It’s the same floorplan as a Vegas/Axis 24.1, but has the Mercedes stripped chassis diesel.
The Via seems to hold its value

There are several with low mileage on RV Trader at an attractive price point
vs
Buying a new Vegas/Axis at inflated prices due to the current low supply

[Lt Keefer]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

Check out a used Winnebago Via 25T (2017 was the last model year I believe)
It’s the same floorplan as a Vegas/Axis 24.1, but has the Mercedes stripped chassis diesel.
The Via seems to hold its value

There are several with low mileage on RV Trader at an attractive price point
vs
Buying a new Vegas/Axis at inflated prices due to the current low supply

Agree. We looked at a Via a couple of weeks ago and though it was older than our Hurricane with more miles, the quality of build materials and fit and finish was way superior to our coach.

[lwmcguire]

I purchased the Tuscany at MHSRV strictly due to price and selection plus the ability to stay in the motor home at their site to fix or adjust anything found overnight

Savings were close to 50k and I have service abd warranty work done 40 miles away from Branson at a large dealer

There is a decent profit in service, availability to get scheduled seems to be an issue

When we were there they were selling 8-10 units per day

Driving through Dallas at rush hour in a new coach was the only aggravating thing on the trip

[Bob Denman]

How were they during the PDI?
Did they have to address any issues?