Finally the Press is looking

[Chateau_Nomad]

When purchasing a motorhome, there are TWO distinct elements:

Design and layout
This is the "visible" part; Many people buy based on this ALONE, and the motorhome/RV landscape is littered with the regrets of those purchases. The unseasoned buyer walks through a motorhome, LOOKING, but not actually touching/using the underlying components.

Motorhome manufacturers have nearly perfected using cheap, lightweight materials to make the initial product appear "upscale". However, as seasoned buyers know, paper, glue and staples have a very short life in a motorhome environment. Potential buyers are wowed by the glitter and glitz, and as an analogy - only later finding out that gold was merely pinchbeck.

Build quality and Component function
This is how well the RV is constructed, including the quality of materials (not necessarily the weight!), and the underlying mechanicals and their quality - including appliances, chassis, engine etc. - regardless of where those "third party" components originated. After all, the manufacturer CHOSE to use those components.

Like most major purchases - house, car, motorhome - the buying process generally is designed to distract the buyer from digging too deep before making the purchase.

Look at how media commercials for products are structured and the language/terms used. Anyone ever look up "military grade" as applied to a consumer product? That "military grade" chassis on this motorhome will take you "off grid" to places others don't dare venture! ...and those unseasoned buyers fall hook line and sinker!

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

If there's one thing I've learned...and this forum started this curve...id to research to death any RV you are interested in. We will downsize...April is already looking at smaller C's as we travel. Something along the size of the Winnebago View...but not necessarily that specific brand or model. Layout has everything to do with it. Being a seasoned RV Veteran...you van bet the farm I will spend hours and hours crawling through everything, studying the design and access to all components...everything I've learned, especially on this forum, will come into play. If you could just get to buyers BEFORE they purchase anything there would be a lot more happy campers on the road and the manufacturers would be scratching their heads as to why there are so many of a given layout/build design still sitting around on dealer's lots.

Amen

[widdershins]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

Amen

+1 to the Amen ;-)

[knucklehead]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

Well, it seems like a truthful overview to me. Thor's entry level products are produced with low end materials and have no quality control. Sure, after 5 summers of ownership and use, I have my Hurricane up to par and like it's layout. But for anyone to think it is a quality coach would be a stretch.

I agree 100%. Thor is not the only low quality, poorly assembled coach on the road. Many people get one with no issues and I got one with plenty!! Got a 2018 Windsport 29m cause it was as big of a RV as I could afford and we loved the floorplan. I still love it but hate it too. Things break at the worse possible time, even 2 weeks after having something fixed like my leveling system which has been a nightmare from day ONE!!!! I will never buy another Thor product and if I ever sell my Windsport I'd look at a Coachman, Jayco or maybe a Newmar or Fleetwood. I have friends that own these and have had a much better experience!!!

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

I agree 100%. Thor is not the only low quality, poorly assembled coach on the road. Many people get one with no issues and I got one with plenty!! Got a 2018 Windsport 29m cause it was as big of a RV as I could afford and we loved the floorplan. I still love it but hate it too. Things break at the worse possible time, even 2 weeks after having something fixed like my leveling system which has been a nightmare from day ONE!!!! I will never buy another Thor product and if I ever sell my Windsport I'd look at a Coachman, Jayco or maybe a Newmar or Fleetwood. I have friends that own these and have had a much better experience!!!

Guess who owns Jayco.

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by knucklehead

I agree 100%. Thor is not the only low quality, poorly assembled coach on the road. Many people get one with no issues and I got one with plenty!! Got a 2018 Windsport 29m cause it was as big of a RV as I could afford and we loved the floorplan. I still love it but hate it too. Things break at the worse possible time, even 2 weeks after having something fixed like my leveling system which has been a nightmare from day ONE!!!! I will never buy another Thor product and if I ever sell my Windsport I'd look at a Coachman, Jayco or maybe a Newmar or Fleetwood. I have friends that own these and have had a much better experience!!!

99% Newmar for me next time
Love the Baystar

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by paulwadley

People need to remember that there are two parts to a motor home. The Chassis and the Coach. The Chassis usually falls under Ford/Dodge/Mercedes Benz/Freightliner and the Coach is the R V manufacturer. The Chassis is usually tied into the coach with some modifications. The chassis issues usually go to the respective manufacture for repairs and the coach goes back to whatever company made it for repairs. It can be a tricky situation when things go wrong and you need to figure out who it goes to. These things are large boxes on wheels and things loosen up over time. Do your homework on the make/model you want and review everything about it before purchasing. It is a very large purchase.

Paul

This depends on the type, Class A or C. A Class A is delivered as a naked frame with a steering wheel and a kitchen chair taped to the floor. Everything up front is built by the MH manufacturer...and built as cheaply as they can. Class C's are a road ready, factory built cab you can drive to South America before its ever touched by the coach manufacturer.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

If there's one thing I've learned...and this forum started this curve...id to research to death any RV you are interested in. We will downsize...April is already looking at smaller C's as we travel. Something along the size of the Winnebago View...but not necessarily that specific brand or model. Layout has everything to do with it. Being a seasoned RV Veteran...you van bet the farm I will spend hours and hours crawling through everything, studying the design and access to all components...everything I've learned, especially on this forum, will come into play. If you could just get to buyers BEFORE they purchase anything there would be a lot more happy campers on the road and the manufacturers would be scratching their heads as to why there are so many of a given layout/build design still sitting around on dealer's lots.

I always say Information / Knowledge is Power. I agree with the premise of getting all of the information out there, good, bad and ugly. I got lucky because when my research started pointing to me buying a Thor, I knew I had no Knowledge so I joined this forum. We went from looking at Chateau 28z, Quantum, ACE 29.3, Windsport/Hurricane 27Bs. Tried to buy ACE 29.3 and two 27Bs but never got passed the PDI in 3 coaches!!! We gave up and found our Winnebago on 1st PDI try. I have to admit, the Thor naysayers have won me over, I would be scared to death to buy a Thor now Good things for us is that we love our Sunstar so much, we have no plans of buying anything any time soon, but if I had to, it would be another Winnebago and it would be brand new so I can deal with all of the warranty stuff myself. I know who to call, and know they will send me what I need.

[lwmcguir]

We had several r÷ally aggravating issues but luckily the bones were and still are great.

Tuscany was built early 2016 so things should have been good.

All issues were QA related and either on purpose or truly stupid employees

Lack of accountability for certain and things you couldn't find on a good PDI or the overnight at the dealership

Accurate well written articles are great but only a few have that ability

Like the old show, just the facts mam, is all i want or need

Bought my first RV in 1963 and many since

Only the last one had issues seemingly on purpose, two kinked hoses and electric wire around the televator. Wire on passenger seat through the mechanism so it would short out

Looking around is there any doubt were not devolving?

I think if you're not reasonablely capable, you better buy a Condo instead of an RV

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by Muggs

People need to research and look at all issues and be ready to address.

Many do not. An RV us not a car/truck in terms of quality/reliability.

We did a lot of lurking/looking at forums to have a solid idea of what we faced. When door lock broke, both of us were preppared to take apart and bungie corded door on trip home. We knew that would happen someday after watching forum.

We are 6 years out now and appreciate the utility of the e450 based vegas. It gets used frequently and upkeep is no real issue.

I would not hesitate to buy another knowing I will need to optomize and adjust for our application.

Good for you. We saw our coach online called motorhome specialists and 1 left. Tried to talk to lora about looking into it. She called the sales guy in 5 minutes and charged it over the phone...site unseen.. we were are lucky