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Old 03-06-2016, 01:52 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by Athennesy65 View Post
Great advice, Our choice is motivated by the crawling over one another to get out of the bed. Had not thought too much about what happens when it is retracted, thanks again.
Good comments here, especially Ed's questions. It can be tricky to figure out how you will use your coach, and which model fits that use the best. Try to think ahead. Besides the sleeping configuration, the relative size of the shower and the storage compartments inside and out vary between units.

Smart buyers do their homework before signing on the line. Asking questions here has helped many. Some buyers later they find out something else would be a better fit, but doing your homework improves your chances of getting it right.

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Old 03-06-2016, 10:44 AM   #22
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Question Trying to Make that first buy, my third one

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I agree with Ed. We have had a corner bed, a hide a bed, and another end bed...we made our decision on the 24.1...as we did not want to climb over one another...hide a beds, even with an upgrade mattress leave something to be desired...we are older and do not mind the twin bed configuration of the 24.1 and if we decide to make a king out of it, we can ... We have had a dinette and we have returned to the couch ... We enjoy the additional space with the slide in the living area.
So, as Ed said...take the chance to view and have the slides operated on each different unit..then make the choice which best suits your personal preference.

Looking forward to hearing about your decision ! K
My other considerations were length (25' 6" vs 26' 6'), wheelbase (188" vs. 194") and evening Awning size (16'5" vs 18'). Finally noise,
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Old 03-06-2016, 10:48 AM   #23
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You have me thinking again!

[QUOTE=bevedfelker;28323]I think one of the things you need to be aware of is how the bed folds so that the bedroom slide can be retracted. Compare the bed layout in models without the bedroom slide to those with a slide. Do you prefer fulltime twin beds, a king bed (configuration option), of a queen? Do you put a premium on having more lateral space in the kitchen area that a living room or dinette slid provides versus having no slide in the living area? Do you want a corner bed or one you can walk around?

So what is handy to answer those questions or to make those comparisons is to actually see each of those models rather than just looking at a floorplan. All those bed options have real differences in how easily or hard it is to make a bed. You can also try the mattresses and see if any configuration has one person crawling over the other in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
My other considerations were length (25' 6" vs 26' 6'), wheelbase (188" vs. 194") and evening Awning size (16'5" vs 18'). Finally noise,
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Old 03-06-2016, 02:07 PM   #24
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Team: Do you mind if I call you the Team? Maybe better is fellow RV'ers: Such great suggestions, these are my other considerations; Wheelbase Difference 188" vs 194", Length 25'6" vs 26" 6' general upgrades between 2015-2016 ie noise levels E350 vs E450. Do any of these really make a difference?
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Old 03-06-2016, 02:54 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by Athennesy65 View Post
Team: Do you mind if I call you the Team? Maybe better is fellow RV'ers: Such great suggestions, these are my other considerations; Wheelbase Difference 188" vs 194", Length 25'6" vs 26" 6' general upgrades between 2015-2016 ie noise levels E350 vs E450. Do any of these really make a difference?
Overall length will make a difference when camping as some sites have length restrictions. The are also some roads that will impose length restrictions, for example the Natchez Trace.

Wheel base will make a difference when cornering, especially entering and exiting service stations and making right hand turns. No big deal but something to be aware of. It will also make a big difference in the handling of the coach. For example a 26 foot coach on a 194 inch wheelbase will handle differently than a 26 foot coach on a 188 inch wheelbase. With that said, if the primary routes are highways and interstates I would pick the longer wheelbase any day. If the primary driving were secondary roads and in and around cities and town then I would consider the shorter wheelbase.

I would imagine the E350 and E450 with the same power train configuration would have the same noise level unless the tire size is different and then there may be more road noise from one or the other.
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Old 03-06-2016, 05:02 PM   #26
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Honestly, I do not see a big difference in the E-350 and E-450 chassis in the 2014 Vegas and 2016 Axis. The major difference is the new 6 Spd transmission. It gets better gas mileage and it is much quieter. When I went from a 168" to a 188" wheelbase (Class C E-350 to Class A E-350) I did notice a big positive difference in how the longer wheel base rode and sounded on interstates. The noise difference in my 2014 Vegas and 2016 Axis (with the same wheelbase) is substantial. The Axis is a lot more comfortable to ride in. I put 25,000 miles on my Vegas, so I really appreciate the difference. I think this is due to improvements in the Axis rather than the change to the E-450 chassis, but I cannot be sure.
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Old 03-09-2016, 08:29 PM   #27
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Hello newly retired. Welcome to the world of retirement.
When shopping for this motorhome. The test drive was as Dave suggested. We drove the unit that I purchased. Went through city streets, and then onto the interstate. I bought my unit from the dealer in Lemay. No issues with the salesman on where we drove are how long we drove. We had to put gas in it first, the dealer paid for the gas. I think we were out for about and hour or so.It handle just great, rode great, and I am sitting in now in S. TX. playing Winter Texan.
Good luck, have fun camping.
Give us an update after your adventure
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Old 03-10-2016, 02:26 PM   #28
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Smile

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Hello newly retired. Welcome to the world of retirement.
When shopping for this motorhome. The test drive was as Dave suggested. We drove the unit that I purchased. Went through city streets, and then onto the interstate. I bought my unit from the dealer in Lemay. No issues with the salesman on where we drove are how long we drove. We had to put gas in it first, the dealer paid for the gas. I think we were out for about and hour or so.It handle just great, rode great, and I am sitting in now in S. TX. playing Winter Texan.
Good luck, have fun camping.
Give us an update after your adventure
Getting anxious about both Retirement and the RV find, test and purchase adventure, thanks for the input isn't thyis forum thebest!
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Old 03-12-2016, 11:14 AM   #29
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If you've never driven an RV it can feel intimidating trying to stay within your lane without glancing at the right side view mirror. An easy step is to park the RV close next to a straight sidewalk on the right side. Then, sitting in the driver's seat look where the sidewalk extends out in your line of sight and place a Post It not inside the windshield to mark exactly where the right side of the RV is in relation to the sidewalk. When driving you'll be able to gauge how close you are to the right side of the lane within a couple inches. The left side is less of an issue from the driver's seat
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Old 03-12-2016, 01:15 PM   #30
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Driving Tip

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If you've never driven an RV it can feel intimidating trying to stay within your lane without glancing at the right side view mirror. An easy step is to park the RV close next to a straight sidewalk on the right side. Then, sitting in the driver's seat look where the sidewalk extends out in your line of sight and place a Post It not inside the windshield to mark exactly where the right side of the RV is in relation to the sidewalk. When driving you'll be able to gauge how close you are to the right side of the lane within a couple inches. The left side is less of an issue from the driver's seat
Thanks, I'll give it a try!
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:51 AM   #31
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Getting anxious about both Retirement and the RV find, test and purchase adventure, thanks for the input isn't thyis forum thebest!
Yes...Excited about our new retirement adventure and purchase of a Thor Axis 24.1....However we are complete RV newbies and are quite nervous after reading this forum regarding all the problems,issues and "stuff" we just don't know!!!! We are supposed to have the PDI this Friday and complete the purchase of the MH that we purchased at an RV and Camper show in Feb...I hope we don't make stupid mistakes.....thank you.
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Old 03-17-2016, 04:00 AM   #32
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If/when you decide to pull the trigger don't be afraid to add conditions of sale to the purchase offer. On my prior class c I included vent covers and replacement of al CH751 cam locks with combination cam locks as a condition of sale. For my Challenger I included full tank of fuel (80 gallons), full tank of LPG, 2 vent covers, rear tire valve extenders and correction of three items found during the test drive as conditions of sale. The only item the dealer had an issue with, surprisingly, was the full tank of fuel. They were only willing to include a half tank (40 gallons) max.

Do not sign the final contract until after the PDI is complete and the conditions of sale are met. In my case during the test drive I found the message center info button was sticking and when it was not corrected for the PDI (I checked all COS items before starting the PDI) we left the lot and told the dealer to call us when the switch was replaced. They called us 2 hours later and the PDI began. During the PDI we found 2 items they had to correct. We initially arrived at the dealer for the PDI at 9:00 am and signed the contract at around 5:30 PM. We have been extremely happy with the purchase except for the fact we have not taken it out more than we have.
Thanks for this info...taking delivery Friday 3/18 of our 2016 Thor Axis 24.1...we ordered it and made the purchase offer in Feb....so from what I gather here on this forum we should do a complete pdi...test drive...any additional problems fixed before we complete purchase and paperwork and take it off the lot? Any additional advice would be great...we are first time buyers...thought we were somewhat prepared but after reading the posts on this forum...realize we are pretty much clueless. Thanks
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Old 03-17-2016, 04:13 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by GypsyT&M View Post
Thanks for this info...taking delivery Friday 3/18 of our 2016 Thor Axis 24.1...we ordered it and made the purchase offer in Feb....so from what I gather here on this forum we should do a complete pdi...test drive...any additional problems fixed before we complete purchase and paperwork and take it off the lot? Any additional advice would be great...we are first time buyers...thought we were somewhat prepared but after reading the posts on this forum...realize we are pretty much clueless. Thanks
When you do your PDI...make sure everything works on Shore Power..then have the person doing the PDI, unhook your Shore Power and make sure everything works correctly on battery power. We thought we had all bases covered, and had checked out everything possible...but did not think to do this..and now find we have a problem...no battery power to the coach. It will be resolved, however, it is perplexing when you purchase a new RV.
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Old 03-17-2016, 10:48 AM   #34
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Great advice above. And as Dave points out, do not sign and drive out with just a promise from the dealer to fix things discovered in the PDI. Tell him you'll be back to sign the paperwork and give him a check after he calls you back and says everything has been corrected.

The manual I sent you is specific to Vegas/Axis; however, you should still find a lot of it useful no matter what model you decide on.

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Old 03-17-2016, 11:23 AM   #35
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Gypsy T&M-As you start the PDI, ask if you can record what is said. Even experienced RVers, like us, miss things that are said.

It's OK to ask them to slow down, too. This all may be new to you, but it is simple and routine to the person doing your PDI.

Ask for a phone number for someone from the service department to ask short questions after hours or on weekends. That's when you are more likely to have issues, and you don't want to have to wait until Monday morning for an answer!

One last thing, take a deep breath and enjoy the experience!
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Old 03-17-2016, 11:41 AM   #36
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Originally Posted by vkb
When you do your PDI...make sure everything works on Shore Power..then have the person doing the PDI, unhook your Shore Power and make sure everything works correctly on battery power. We thought we had all bases covered, and had checked out everything possible...but did not think to do this..and now find we have a problem...no battery power to the coach. It will be resolved, however, it is perplexing when you purchase a new RV.
Don't forget to have them also do the same checks with the generator running (granted this will have to be done outside).

GypsyT&M: I see you are in Michigan, which RV dealer are you purchasing from? (I'm going to guess General RV; but which one)
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Old 03-17-2016, 12:46 PM   #37
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GypsyT&M,

Hope the PDI goes well.

One thing we did during our PDI last year was to snap pictures with my phone of everything we asked about or pointed out that looked like it needed attention. Came in handy once the adrenaline rush was over and I was trying to remember and itemize all that was discussed...also, hard to argue with a picture!

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Old 03-17-2016, 01:29 PM   #38
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Pdi

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GypsyT&M,

Hope the PDI goes well.

One thing we did during our PDI last year was to snap pictures with my phone of everything we asked about or pointed out that looked like it needed attention. Came in handy once the adrenaline rush was over and I was trying to remember and itemize all that was discussed...also, hard to argue with a picture!

Doc
Thanks for the help
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Old 03-17-2016, 03:03 PM   #39
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There are a lot of nice videos from RV101 that can help prepare you for your test drive.

I previously mentioned establishing a reference point, but here's their video:



Another good one is their video on how to set and use the side view mirrors to view traffic at a distance and up close next to the RV

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Old 03-17-2016, 03:20 PM   #40
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Yeah those RV101 videos are good. We watched all of them after picking up the Axis.
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