Looking at a 2019 Aria

[Newf026]

Anyone have any good, bad, or ugly comments on this model? We want to move to a diesel and we love the 3901 floor plan.

[FarrellRV]

Can't comment directly on the 3901, but it does look like a great coach. We have a 2019 3601 and love it. Wouldn't mind a little more counter space in the kitchen (which it looks like the 3901 has) but it's all a matter of personal opinion.

Tim

[Newf026]

Thanks Tim.

Sounds like no major headaches?

[Newf026]

I am also reading about a water problem that occurs in the storage area of the Aria models.

Has anyone experienced that?

[FarrellRV]

If you go to the Thor Motor Coach Class A, B+ and C forum, you’ll see a long post under “Aria Owners” thread about the things we’ve already found wrong with a 2019 that had less than 4500 miles on her since we picked up the coach on 9/11/20. I should also add that the cab air is pretty much useless at highway speeds. Was told that it’s due to the distance between the compressor/evaporator and the cab. Going to have it looked at when I’m at the dealer over Halloween weekend. No real showstoppers or deal breakers, but a lot of little stuff that needs attention.

Tim

[m1noel]

We had some issues with ours in the first year. After getting them worked out, we have just used the coach problem free (except for a bad battery) for the last two years. Some would tell you it is under powered, but it gets up all the hills and gets very respectable fuel mileage. The basement flooring is an issue if it has gotten wet. The seals and compartment doors were redesigned for 2019, and supposedly helped with the leaks. Thor has been good about helping our with replacing the material with a different product even when out of warranty. Really, the only thing I don't like about our Aria is putting it away for the winter. We are taking our last little trip this weekend.
Mike

[Newf026]

Thanks All!

Tim - what did you mean about the cab air being "useless". Did you mean the air conditioning? That would sound very uncomfortable.

Last question, did either of you come from a gas powered coach prior to the Aria? If so, is the ride, power, noise level very different.

[m1noel]

By the way, our cab air conditioning is more than adequate. It did fail at one point and we used the generator and roof air while on a hot summer trip and it was fine. The A.C. compressor and a faulty pressure switch were replaced by Freightliner under warranty. We had two gas class A's over a period of 20 years before the Aria. The ride and noise levels are vastly different. It is possible to have a conversation without yelling at freeway speeds, I can even listen to music at reasonable levels.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by m1noel

...We had two gas class A's over a period of 20 years before the Aria. The ride and noise levels are vastly different. It is possible to have a conversation without yelling at freeway speeds, I can even listen to music at reasonable levels.

It sort of depends on how you define, "reasonable"...
In my case: the volume control needs more volume in it!
(But that's just me a 1970s "heavy metal" devotee...)

Rest assured: the "REDs" will always out-quiet and out-power the front-engine gassers.

[Mccowboy]

Originally Posted by Newf026

I am also reading about a water problem that occurs in the storage area of the Aria models.

Has anyone experienced that?

There has been a ton written about water intrusion into the basement and wet bays on Thor diesels and if you do a search you'll find several postings. Thor redesigned the baggage doors and seals last year I believe but the thing that concerned me more was the construction of the basement floors. Thor was using plywood in the basement floor that was rotting due to the water intrusion and several people posted horror stories about the floors literally falling apart. If you follow the Thor website videos, as of the 2021 model year they are now using a composite material in the floors with no "organic" material whatsoever that can rot. I believe it's the Azdel material that Fleetwood uses on their sidewalls.
In the end we deicided on a different make and model but best of luck to you on your search.

[FarrellRV]

Yes, I did mean the cab A/C. Once you get to highway speed, it just blows ambient temperature air and makes driving in FL pretty uncomfortable. Our previous rig was a 28’ TT, so I can’t speak to the gasser question, but in the month that we’ve had the motor coach, I’ve been impressed with the power of the engine. The 3601 has the 360 hp engine.

[trowan]

Want a diesel think about Ford 550 chassis with Powerstroke diesel. Tons of power, easy to find parts and repair places, large cab, lots of options. I love the mileage and great in the mountains. Manufactures have many versions ours is 1.5 bath SK 35 from Thor but there are many Super Cs on the market. Can't leave a Walmart or campground without people wanting to look.

[BillHill]

We have a 2018 Aria 3901. Love the floor plan. At a recent RV show we wanted to just look around again and make sure we made the right decision and found that nothing else really has the same layout, space, look, etc. Each one had different fundamental flaws that we didn't care for and therefore remain happy with our decision.

We have had only a few minor issues. In our case, both heat pumps went out but I can't blame that on Thor. We have not had any water issues underneath and the cabin air works fine for the driver and passenger but not so much for anyone in the back. I agree it could use more power but it is enough to get up and down both the Appalachians and the Rockies. That being said, taking it up and down Teton Pass Hwy is not something I want to do again if I can help it but that's another story.

Overall, very happy with it, be prepared to fix little problems but I think that is the case with most all of these regardless of the make and model.

[Hosermohoer]

I purchased a 2019 Thor 3901 in September. We managed two trips in it before it (sadly) had to be put away. For reference, this is my first coach; I’ve had three bumper tow trailers before. My Thor was “used” but had just over 3000 miles on the odo on purchase. The floor plan is excellent for our needs. The fit and finish is excellent (although there are two drawers that won’t stay shut). The panel / electronics and app are great (but not so much the Winegard). Trip two had a black tank full sensor issue, but can’t fault the coach.

We live up north. Waaaay up north. The tile floors are cold. But so beautiful. I’ve never had an issue with cockpit ac (north), but conversely: can confirm the dash unit struggles to pump enough heat. The driver’s side mirror is completely out of whack. Biggest issue: hot water. The water gets hot, but it has to run for a while. If you don’t have sewer and water connections, you’re going to fill your grey and empty your water tank. We barely made it through a five day trip with two adults, two kids, and a bunch of random kids stopping in (because the floor plan is awesome!).

Sadly, I do agree that it is a bit underpowered. Beautiful on the straights, but in the Rockies (for example - but really any hills) best figure out how to work the flashers and keep to the right. My 2500 GMC pulling a fully loaded 36 foot trailer with three slides did much better.

Finally, the two living room tv’s did not talk to each other, and the larger one got confused on it’s lift and caused some issues which still haven’t been rectified despite paying a couple of hundred dollars to a tech person.

On the whole: love, love, love this unit! Can hardly wait for spring.

[Tebo53AZ]

We love the floor plan and have had just a few issues. Driving a house down the highway will assure a few things rattle loose so keep screws checked and tight. We had the basement water issue and had to replace the 1st bay floor, but I have sealed all seams with gorilla tape so we will see how that works. I’ve had the Cummins engines for a long time and they have always done well. It’s a great choice

[Capemaywolfman]

We have a 2019 Aria. We had a number of issues which we finally resolved....frankly too many to list. We think we are finally happy that all warranty issues have been addressed. That being said we do love the bus and the layout.

[Capemaywolfman]

I have a 2019 ARIA. CONTACT ME AT XAPEMAYWOLFMAN@GMAIL.COM