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Old 10-04-2022, 09:29 PM   #1
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Brand: Still Looking
State: Idaho
Posts: 3
THOR #28164
Prepared to purchase used CHATEAU 35SF - Should I?

Hello fellow RV'ers!

I am a full timer and currently have a 2020 Ford F250 truck and a 2021 MPG trailer and I love this lifestyle and want to continue it.

I would like to move up to a Super C that can tow 10K at least so I can pull an enclosed trailer and have a light-ish jeep wrangler in it.

There is a Used 2016 Thor Motor Coach Class C RV CHATEAU 35SF with 25K miles from a private seller. I am looking hard at it and I am prepared to purchase it, but I have some other RV friends saying I will regret it and to run away, fast.

I am looking at all of these front cap issues on the newer magnitudes and omnis and wondering if this is the same with the 2016 Chateau models?

I have some calls out to an RV inspection service near the location I am buying this from and will ask him to pay some extra attention to this front cap area.

I want to tow, so the next option in my 200K or less price range is a Jayco Seneca, but I REALLY like this 6.7 diesel, the same I have in my F250, and it is a beast.

If someone has a 2016 model like this, are you having issues like I am seeing elsewhere on here?

Thanks for any advice!

Joe

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Old 10-04-2022, 09:53 PM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.6
State: New Mexico
Posts: 5,100
THOR #20220
Quote:
Originally Posted by ivelivel View Post
Hello fellow RV'ers!

I am a full timer and currently have a 2020 Ford F250 truck and a 2021 MPG trailer and I love this lifestyle and want to continue it.

I would like to move up to a Super C that can tow 10K at least so I can pull an enclosed trailer and have a light-ish jeep wrangler in it.

There is a Used 2016 Thor Motor Coach Class C RV CHATEAU 35SF with 25K miles from a private seller. I am looking hard at it and I am prepared to purchase it, but I have some other RV friends saying I will regret it and to run away, fast.

I am looking at all of these front cap issues on the newer magnitudes and omnis and wondering if this is the same with the 2016 Chateau models?

I have some calls out to an RV inspection service near the location I am buying this from and will ask him to pay some extra attention to this front cap area.

I want to tow, so the next option in my 200K or less price range is a Jayco Seneca, but I REALLY like this 6.7 diesel, the same I have in my F250, and it is a beast.

If someone has a 2016 model like this, are you having issues like I am seeing elsewhere on here?

Thanks for any advice!

Joe
This may help good luck

https://www.rvinsider.com/2016-Thor-...orplan=Chateau
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Old 10-04-2022, 10:39 PM   #3
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State: Idaho
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THOR #28164
Thank you for the reply, but that link takes me to a basic thor coach search with not a lot there?

Was there a forum there as well?

Thanks again.
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Old 10-04-2022, 10:53 PM   #4
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Vegas 25.6
State: New Mexico
Posts: 5,100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ivelivel View Post
Thank you for the reply, but that link takes me to a basic thor coach search with not a lot there?

Was there a forum there as well?

Thanks again.
I saw reviews https://www.rvinsider.com/2016-Thor-...orplan=Chateau
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Old 10-05-2022, 12:15 AM   #5
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 35SF
State: Michigan
Posts: 110
THOR #18186
Ive,
We have a 16 35sf and love the thing.
I feel bad for the owners with cap issues but to date we have not had an issue and no screws raising the perimeter trim piece.
We have 23000 miles so far and only issues have been def related clogging.
We do have the front 50" tv system in the cab and I do believe this has helped due to a full brace structure across the cab center.
We purchased ours for the main purpose of pulling our 30 ft offshore boat and crew cab truck.
Pulls like they are not there.
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Old 10-05-2022, 12:21 PM   #6
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
THOR #12751
There are two achilles heels with the Thor Super C's ( Chateau, Omni, Magnitude).

As Jimmers mentioned, one of them is the front cap. I have a '20 Magnitude SV34. At 5000 miles screws under the cap began to break and pull out pushing the molding out that runs from the drivers side, across the roof and then down the passenger side. I took it to the Thor Factory Service Center under warranty and they said they fixed it. I am on a 7-week trip out west and after 18 months and 15,000 miles after the repair, it is starting again.

Pillbox on here has a Chateau and Kwplot34 documented repairing it themselves using bolts and nuts. Thor uses small and short sheet metals screws that don't hold up.

The other achilles heel is the full wall slide. About 70 - 80% of full-eall slide owners end up having various problems. Most if it is that the Schwintek Slide Mechanism is a poor design for a heavy, full-wall slide. I had the Schwintek Mechanism replaced with the Vroom Slide System a year ago and it has worked flawlessly. It is a far superior design with more robust parts than the Schwintek mechanism.

We do like our Magnitude Super C, which is very similar to the Chateau but it is a love-hate relationship and a lot of work in 3 years to get it where it needed to be.
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Old 10-05-2022, 05:25 PM   #7
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 35SK
State: Arizona
Posts: 26
THOR #26201
I have a 2015 35sk so its similar, this model has the small slides which are much less of an issue. I'd be concerned about the full-wall slide on the 35sf which also has a lot of power, water and gas lines sliding around with it, where as the 35sk nothing of importance is on a slide which was my main reason of mine for choosing this one. If you go with the 35SF verify it atleast has the slightly better triple rail shwintek slide system.

As far as power and towing, I live in the mountains and can still do 60 on the long 6-7% grades around here, while my friends in their class A's are down to 40 or 50. I tow our Bronco on a car trailer which is around 8k lbs or our rzr on the same trailer for around 4k lbs and you know its back there but its not a huge concern for accelerating or braking.

I've had no cap issues, I think its primarily on the 19+ omni/magnitude models that have major cap issues, vs the older 13-18 front cap.

EDIT:
Oh and just so you know the power is no where close to your pickup if that's what you're expecting. Its spiffy for a giant box on wheels but the chassis cabs are only 300hp and 660 ft lbs, mated to a 6 speed. Your pickup has 475hp and 1050tq to a 10 speed.
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Old 10-05-2022, 05:45 PM   #8
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohmsmcgee View Post

I've had no cap issues, I think its primarily on the 19+ omni/magnitude models that have major cap issues, vs the older 13-18 front cap.
FYI…. There have been a couple Chateau owners prior to the Omni / Magnitude that have had the from cap issue. Pillbox on here was one of them. There was also another member who did a repair on another one was well.
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Old 10-05-2022, 09:11 PM   #9
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: THOR Chateua 35SF
State: Florida
Posts: 5,850
THOR #11130
Mine is a 2019 and I'd jump at the opportunity do do it again with the same build quality. No serious issues in general and no issues whatsoever with the full wall slide or the front cap. When Thor designed the Super C, they also opened a new plant to build them...Plant 250. At the onset, the Super C was the only model built there and was a brand new introduction. The initial build process was monitored by many engineers/designers and was basically "hand built" one unit at a time with a pretty serious quality check at the end. The success of the Super C was huge. First time ever you could get the body of a large Class A with the cab quality of a commercial truck and the power of a diesel. I think, as they became more popular they rolled into the everyday processes and became "mass produced" with less attention to details and less quality checks at the end. The cab mounting process was also changed "cost effective" to reduce the time and materials used. Bolts were changed to screws, etc. The process of how they were attached to the top of the truck cab was redesigned (not a good word) as well to probably reduce time and cost. As far as 70-80% of the owners having cap issues...can't be that bad with the older units. The vast majority of people that have not had issues are not complaining on the forums. As far as towing, I tow an aluminum R&R tandem trailer with a Cadillac XT5, portable generators, extra fuel jugs, ladder and a few items strapped on. Total weight is around 7000-7500+ pounds and I have to look back to make sure its still there. The power is amazing. The only thing I would look into...around 2015/2016 Thor had serious issues with the full wall slides and the two track system. They designed and patented the 3-Trax system and this resolved most of the failures. If the one you're looking at has only two rows of tracks on the full wall slide...don't buy it. If it has 3 rows of track on each end, it's the newer system. I normally drive 64MPH on cruise and it never drops a gear on regular highways...only in the really inclined mountain roads. We will be selling ours in the not so distant future to downsize and the one huge plus I can advertise..."Pre-2020 model with no slide or front cap issues". Good luck!!
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Old 10-05-2022, 11:52 PM   #10
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 35SF
State: Michigan
Posts: 110
THOR #18186
I will add that due to all of the discussions for the full wall slide, I did purchase a spare slide motor, check the motor mounting for integrity which was properly tightened and located.
It is a 3 track system which I tightened and added screws.
We also use a front slide lock to keep the slide form chucking moving against the tracks and motor which I believe is a huge help. You can hear it creaking going down the road.
It is definitely working it.
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Old 10-06-2022, 01:00 AM   #11
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2020 Magnitude SV34
State: Florida
Posts: 4,147
THOR #12751
I forgot to mention when I talked about the full-wall slide that I solved my full-wall slide issues by having the crappy Schwintek slide mechanism with the Vroom Slide System. The is quieter, smoother and moves faster. I haven't had a single issue in over a year after several issues with the Schwintek mechanism in my SV34.
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Old 10-06-2022, 01:12 PM   #12
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: THOR Chateua 35SF
State: Florida
Posts: 5,850
THOR #11130
Again, Judge...we need to hook up for a weekend soon. I'd love to "tour" all the mods you've made. I want to downsize but April says keep it till we tame the wild west. On the fence.
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Old 10-09-2022, 02:34 PM   #13
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Chateau 35SK
State: Michigan
Posts: 3
THOR #22711
I have the 2014 Chateau 35SK with the 6.7 and it tows like a beast. I just drove 2000 miles from Michigan to Moab, UT pulling my heavily modified 2014 JKU Rubicon on top of a heavy duty tilt trailer (about 9K lbs all together). Gas mileage was around 8 mpg, put ran all the way at 70 - 75 mph.
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Old 01-13-2024, 04:10 AM   #14
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Chateau 35SF
State: Texas
Posts: 1
THOR #31618
Quote:
Originally Posted by ivelivel View Post
Hello fellow RV'ers!

I am a full timer and currently have a 2020 Ford F250 truck and a 2021 MPG trailer and I love this lifestyle and want to continue it.

I would like to move up to a Super C that can tow 10K at least so I can pull an enclosed trailer and have a light-ish jeep wrangler in it.

There is a Used 2016 Thor Motor Coach Class C RV CHATEAU 35SF with 25K miles from a private seller. I am looking hard at it and I am prepared to purchase it, but I have some other RV friends saying I will regret it and to run away, fast.

I am looking at all of these front cap issues on the newer magnitudes and omnis and wondering if this is the same with the 2016 Chateau models?

I have some calls out to an RV inspection service near the location I am buying this from and will ask him to pay some extra attention to this front cap area.

I want to tow, so the next option in my 200K or less price range is a Jayco Seneca, but I REALLY like this 6.7 diesel, the same I have in my F250, and it is a beast.

If someone has a 2016 model like this, are you having issues like I am seeing elsewhere on here?

Thanks for any advice!

Joe
I hope you got a certified inspector to inspect this unit before you got serious or purchased it.
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Old 01-13-2024, 04:54 AM   #15
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Chateau 24F
State: Ohio
Posts: 4,087
THOR #16721
Well... they've been dwelling on it for over a year.
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