Any videos that take a close look at the new AWD rigs?

[Bluetreak]

Hi everyone- in the local (St. Louis) absence of a rig to look at, does anyone know of an in-depth video on either the Compass or Gemini on the 2020 Transit AWD chassis? I'm trying to see what:

What is the tank dump valve area like?
Where are the black, grey, and freshwater tanks?
Where is the freshwater pump?
What is the house battery storage area like under the steps?
What provision is there for emergency slide movement?
Are there any fresh-water lines under or in the floor?
What does the underside of the rig look like?
What do the various curtains look like deployed?
Does the Rapid Camp feature display current going into the battery?
Is the battery charged through a simple combiner relay or something better?
What kind of probes are used for the lank levels?
Are there light switches in other places than the main panel? Are they multiplexed?
What is the back up if the Rapid Camp system fails to operate?
Can other systems be monitored by the Rapid Camp system?
How many vent fans are there? what are they like? Are they controlled by the RCS? Do they have hoods/covers?
The solar controller looks to be a 10 amp controller, is that true?
Can the Blind-spot system (BLIS) be activated?
Can I send the back-up camera to the big screen in the radio?
What 115VAC-12VDC converter is used? Can it handle Lithium?

Thanks!

[Bob Denman]

With that many questions: you should seriously consider a road trip, and find one to look at.
Happy hunting, and good luck!

[Bluetreak]

You may be right. My local dealer says "anytime now" Whenever that is...

[JamieGeek]

You mean like this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1FunpAqhSc

[Bob Denman]

Jamie: You're the BESTEST!! .

[Bluetreak]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

You mean like this video:

Jamie, thanks.
I had taken a look at that video and it's great for the new or first-time user to go over how to use the various features of the rig. I am looking for more in-depth info, the kinds of things that might matter if one intends to do more with the coach.
We're on our 5th travel trailer in 25 years and thinking of moving to a small motorhome for the next set of adventures.

(is your Bolt involved in the "voluntary recall"?)

[Bluetreak]

This is the kind of video I'd love to see on the Compass and Gemini:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYs0...ature=emb_logo

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bluetreak

(is your Bolt involved in the "voluntary recall"?)

Not really voluntary as my dealer called yesterday: "Bring it in because of FIRE!!!"

Just got back from the dealer: they reflashed it so it only charges to 90%. Saw more Bolts there in a single place than I ever have (aside from seeing car carriers full of them).

(Yeah it no longer lives in the garage.)

[Bluetreak]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Not really voluntary as my dealer called yesterday: "Bring it in because of FIRE!!!"

Just got back from the dealer: they reflashed it so it only charges to 90%. Saw more Bolts there in a single place than I ever have (aside from seeing car carriers full of them).

(Yeah it no longer lives in the garage.)

I had to ask- I've had two Volts since 2012 and we are close to 100k on our 2014. I think the Bolt looks like a great car and I know GM will get down to root cause soon. Hang in there!

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Bluetreak

I had to ask- I've had two Volts since 2012 and we are close to 100k on our 2014. I think the Bolt looks like a great car and I know GM will get down to root cause soon. Hang in there!

Well the newer Bolts (2020) aren't on the recall list if you're interested in one.

In addition: If everything works out I'll probably be turning my Bolt lease in early when the new EV arrives.

[Bluetreak]

I got a call from my local Thor dealer today and got the news that a 2021 AWD Compass had been delivered that morning. I made arrangements to see it and was able to spend 45 minutes looking it over and talking to the salesperson.

The rig I saw is a 23TE (Murphy bed) in the "Home Collection" interior.
In no particular order:

• The rig feels spacious with the slide out and had a light, airy feel to it
• The interior ceiling felt "far away" and not too low to me.
• There are a lot of lights in the coach, so it should be well-lit at night.
• All the cabinets had uniform gaps and reliable opening and closing.
• The bathroom is nicely sized and the shower was spacious (I'm 6"1" and 270#)
• The TV looks huge rising out of the cabinet next to the door!
• The door into the coach has a strunt at the bottom that limited opening to ~90 deg. No extra piece to put in place, drop, forget at a campsite, Etc!
• The couch was comfortable for the 20 minutes I sat on it.
• The round cover for the sink is lightweight and easy to pick up and remove.
• The microwave under the counter seemed very low to me.
• The refrigerator was a decent size.
• There is plenty of room at the foot of the bed when it's down.
• The battery box under the steps still has room in it with the stock Group 31.
• The addition of the physical buttons under the screen on the "Rapid Camp" means you can control lights and things without the touch screen.
• The dump valves have their own lighted area, can be accessed easily and the compartment has a floor (important for winter camping).

In the short time I had, I did not get all my questions answered and I did not drive the rig. I may go down tomorrow to check it out a bit more.

I did not talk price with the salesperson, so I still wonder if anyone is able to actually buy one for ~$80k.

[Bluetreak]

A fellow in Wasington state has taken delivery of a new 2021 23TE and posted two clips on YT about the rig and his experience. I'll include the link later today, but they should be easy to find.

[Bluetreak]

Link to 1st clip: https://youtu.be/1Lwk0LleK1w
Link to 2nd clip: https://youtu.be/OTKJSirv-jM

[PDX247]

We have owned our Gemini for a few months and have done multiple trips in the snow and it does great. We have gone over a 10k foot pass multiple time in the snow, rain and wind and it has handled great and has never slipped. Very pleased....

[Bob Denman]

Glad to see that they perform as they should!

[Bluetreak]

Originally Posted by PDX247

We have owned our Gemini for a few months and have done multiple trips in the snow and it does great. We have gone over a 10k foot pass multiple time in the snow, rain and wind and it has handled great and has never slipped. Very pleased....

That is great to hear! The AWD chassis is supposed to be a very good driving vehicle.

Would you mind telling us a few things about the rig?
Who did you buy it from?
Have you owned other RV's?
How many nights have you spent in the rig?

Thanks!

[Bob Denman]

While we're at it: how is the fuel mileage?

[Edensob]

After watching the videos, it sure would be nice if the factory provided a copy of their final inspection documents with every motor home. Same chance as a snowball in hell I'm sure. The fact that there were no stabilizers even installed tells me they did nothing. I feel for the guy and hope this gets made right.

[PDX247]

We purchased the rig from a place in Az and had it shipped. We had to do this because it is very hard to find these and my wife is very high risk and I did not want to go into the dealer. if you don't have to I would not recommend doing this because the dealer ended up not checking the rig out.

We had a lot of issues (back tank flush leaked, slide broke, refridge did not run on propane...) but they were all fixed under warranty.

We have only used it for about 12 days total. We have always owned trailers before and really enjoy driving this. The thing is a rocket, corners nice and has lots of torque. We love the layout and when the slide is out there is plenty of room (we still wince a bit when we put out the slide.

We are getting about 13mpg. Again we always go over mountain passes so this is pretty good.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by Bluetreak

I got a call from my local Thor dealer today and got the news that a 2021 AWD Compass had been delivered that morning. I made arrangements to see it and was able to spend 45 minutes looking it over and talking to the salesperson.

The rig I saw is a 23TE (Murphy bed) in the "Home Collection" interior.
In no particular order:

• The rig feels spacious with the slide out and had a light, airy feel to it
• The interior ceiling felt "far away" and not too low to me.
• There are a lot of lights in the coach, so it should be well-lit at night.
• All the cabinets had uniform gaps and reliable opening and closing.
• The bathroom is nicely sized and the shower was spacious (I'm 6"1" and 270#)
• The TV looks huge rising out of the cabinet next to the door!
• The door into the coach has a strunt at the bottom that limited opening to ~90 deg. No extra piece to put in place, drop, forget at a campsite, Etc!
• The couch was comfortable for the 20 minutes I sat on it.
• The round cover for the sink is lightweight and easy to pick up and remove.
• The microwave under the counter seemed very low to me.
• The refrigerator was a decent size.
• There is plenty of room at the foot of the bed when it's down.
• The battery box under the steps still has room in it with the stock Group 31.
• The addition of the physical buttons under the screen on the "Rapid Camp" means you can control lights and things without the touch screen.
• The dump valves have their own lighted area, can be accessed easily and the compartment has a floor (important for winter camping).

In the short time I had, I did not get all my questions answered and I did not drive the rig. I may go down tomorrow to check it out a bit more.

I did not talk price with the salesperson, so I still wonder if anyone is able to actually buy one for ~$80k.

MHSRV has them listed at $79.9 and they have 29 of them - so you should be able to find one for around $80K.