For sale: 2014 Thor Motor Coach Axis RUV Model 24.1 with only 6124 miles.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by timp410

We never sit in one place, we are travelers. The Roadtrek gives us the ability to hang out at the beach all day long if we want. We can also park in most parking spaces.

Same here. We also travel far more than stay in one place. Our needs are less than a "real" motorhome, yet we would like the ability to take two others for a few days once in a while; and for that a Class B is too tight. If it was just us 100% of time then a Class B wins easily.

I've been trying to communicate with Thor to make a case for a motorhome that splits the difference.

Glad to hear that bigger isn't always better.

[Teeitup26]

Originally Posted by Chance

Same here. We also travel far more than stay in one place. Our needs are less than a "real" motorhome, yet we would like the ability to take two others for a few days once in a while; and for that a Class B is too tight. If it was just us 100% of time then a Class B wins easily.

I've been trying to communicate with Thor to make a case for a motorhome that splits the difference.

Glad to hear that bigger isn't always better.

I've looked at the Roadtreks and they have everything you need, but i just didn't get the feeling of a very small apartment, comfortable and all. More like a front seat area, unusable shower and small counter space, a hall way, and a very isolated back end bed. The Axis 24.1 gives that tiny but liveable living room type feeling along with great chassis. If they could come up with something in between the two at the Axis price point that you never needed to put in an RV park now that would be great.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Chance

Same here. We also travel far more than stay in one place. Our needs are less than a "real" motorhome, yet we would like the ability to take two others for a few days once in a while; and for that a Class B is too tight. If it was just us 100% of time then a Class B wins easily.

I've been trying to communicate with Thor to make a case for a motorhome that splits the difference.

Glad to hear that bigger isn't always better.

I definitely would not want to camp in a B with two extra people. It's just my wife and I. My son is off to college now so it is our time...lol. The large coach make sense in your situation.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Teeitup26

I've looked at the Roadtreks and they have everything you need, but i just didn't get the feeling of a very small apartment, comfortable and all. More like a front seat area, unusable shower and small counter space, a hall way, and a very isolated back end bed. The Axis 24.1 gives that tiny but liveable living room type feeling along with great chassis. If they could come up with something in between the two at the Axis price point that you never needed to put in an RV park now that would be great.

After owning both coaches, I can say that in our situation, we definitely made the right decision. There is enough space for us and with all the other benefits we have with a B is major.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by timp410

I definitely would not want to camp in a B with two extra people. It's just my wife and I. My son is off to college now so it is our time...lol. The large coach make sense in your situation.

I agree. We had a small Class C when our children were teens, then downsized to a Ford van (it's much smaller in total volume than Sprinters or ProMasters) and are now looking forward to the day we can occasionally travel with grandkids. In theory we could do it in a large van, but it would be tight.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Chance

I agree. We had a small Class C when our children were teens, then downsized to a Ford van (it's much smaller in total volume than Sprinters or ProMasters) and are now looking forward to the day we can occasionally travel with grandkids. In theory we could do it in a large van, but it would be tight.

Yes, it would be tight. I use to own a 1996 Coach House on a Dodge chassis, it would have been very difficult to bring two kids along. Our Sprinter is really setup for two people also. However, we can seat belt six.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Teeitup26

I've looked at the Roadtreks and they have everything you need, but i just didn't get the feeling of a very small apartment, comfortable and all. More like a front seat area, unusable shower and small counter space, a hall way, and a very isolated back end bed. The Axis 24.1 gives that tiny but liveable living room type feeling along with great chassis. If they could come up with something in between the two at the Axis price point that you never needed to put in an RV park now that would be great.

From my perspective, vans only lack extra width to split the gap between what we now know as Class Bs and an Axis-size Class A. Sprinters are up to 24-feet long, and Iveco in Europe has 25-feet-long vans. Both have plenty of headroom for most adults. If someone made a large van like that but around 90-inches wide, it would make an incredibly roomy Class B. But that's not going to happen.

For buyers who want a Class A a little smaller than an Axis, they may have to wait until Hymer or some other European manufacturer starts importing them into North America. I think it's highly unlikely that Thor or any other US company will make a smaller Class A than an Axis or Vegas.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by timp410

Yes, it would be tight. I use to own a 1996 Coach House on a Dodge chassis, it would have been very difficult to bring two kids along. Our Sprinter is really setup for two people also. However, we can seat belt six.

At least that gives you the option to rent a small camping trailer from time to time. We've done that with our E-350 Ford with V10 engine, but newer Transits or ProMasters can't really tow much after being converted to Class B. Sprinters seem to be the exception.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Chance

From my perspective, vans only lack extra width to split the gap between what we now know as Class Bs and an Axis-size Class A. Sprinters are up to 24-feet long, and Iveco in Europe has 25-feet-long vans. Both have plenty of headroom for most adults. If someone made a large van like that but around 90-inches wide, it would make an incredibly roomy Class B. But that's not going to happen.

For buyers who want a Class A a little smaller than an Axis, they may have to wait until Hymer or some other European manufacturer starts importing them into North America. I think it's highly unlikely that Thor or any other US company will make a smaller Class A than an Axis or Vegas.

I concur, it doesn't make since to market a Class A any smaller than the Axis. When I purchased the Axis, I thought I could get away with using it similarly to the way I used my 1996 Coach House. However, it just didn't work out. My Sprinter is 22.9 feet long, so far I have been able to do most of what I did with my Coach House. The Sprinter also has a car like feel in the way it drives. I cannot believe how quite and smooth it is on the road.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Chance

At least that gives you the option to rent a small camping trailer from time to time. We've done that with our E-350 Ford with V10 engine, but newer Transits or ProMasters can't really tow much after being converted to Class B. Sprinters seem to be the exception.

This was another option we considered as a future option. The Sprinter can tow up to 7000 pounds. It would have know trouble towing a small trailer and still retain all the advantages of the type B. I put a great deal of thought into this decision. I did not want to make another costly mistake.

[Gizmosmom]

This forum thread is very interesting to me. We currently own a 2000 Dodge Xplorer Class B van. Have had it for 14 years. It only has 93,000 miles on it. We are retiring now and looking at something with more living space. Our wet bath is extremely small, too.

We will, however, tow our bass boat and so we are looking for something with a towing package or hitch weight of more than 5000 lbs. Also need something more powerful than the V-6.

I did post a question in the towing section about the Axis and Vegas 24.1

Our major concerns are the warranty work (if any) wait times. I know that most of the complaints that I read about Thor are from those who have issues. It's just some food for thought, though.

I must say that most of the posters here are very knowledgeable and friendly. Very refreshing!

[Chance]

Originally Posted by timp410

I concur, it doesn't make since to market a Class A any smaller than the Axis. When I purchased the Axis, I thought I could get away with using it similarly to the way I used my 1996 Coach House. However, it just didn't work out. My Sprinter is 22.9 feet long, so far I have been able to do most of what I did with my Coach House. The Sprinter also has a car like feel in the way it drives. I cannot believe how quite and smooth it is on the road.

Tim, I'm not sure why a middle ground couldn't have some appeal to buyers that are on the fence between a large Class B and Axis-size Class A. Granted it would be a limited market, but whichever company came out with it they would own 100% of that segment. It's pretty much what Thor has with Axis/Vegas -- there is no direct competitor at present. If a buyer wants a small Class A (and I don't mean just short) their choices are Axis or Vegas.

Physically, based on dimensions, a motorhome between a large van and an Axis is a Hymer (picture attached). With a little clever engineering, a Hymer-type motorhome could be replicated on a Ford E-350 single-rear-wheel chassis.

In my opinion, to make it work, designers would have to stay true to the needs and wants of that "limited" market, and not try to appeal to the masses. There are plenty of choices for the masses already.

And a large part of success would have to include significant improvements in fuel economy. If Axis are typically in 8~9 range, and gasoline vans in 16~17 MPG range, they would have to deliver an honest 12 MPG for marketing reasons.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by timp410

This was another option we considered as a future option. The Sprinter can tow up to 7000 pounds. It would have know trouble towing a small trailer and still retain all the advantages of the type B. I put a great deal of thought into this decision. I did not want to make another costly mistake.

That's the one big advantage Sprinters have over ProMaster and Transit vans. My preference would be to stay with gasoline though.

[KNMIB]

Originally Posted by Gizmosmom

This forum thread is very interesting to me. We currently own a 2000 Dodge Xplorer Class B van. Have had it for 14 years. It only has 93,000 miles on it. We are retiring now and looking at something with more living space. Our wet bath is extremely small, too.

We will, however, tow our bass boat and so we are looking for something with a towing package or hitch weight of more than 5000 lbs. Also need something more powerful than the V-6.

I did post a question in the towing section about the Axis and Vegas 24.1

Our major concerns are the warranty work (if any) wait times. I know that most of the complaints that I read about Thor are from those who have issues. It's just some food for thought, though.

I must say that most of the posters here are very knowledgeable and friendly. Very refreshing!

We do not have an Axis/Vegas but from what I have red on this forum is that the key is buying from the right dealer that focuses on taking care of the customer. Our dealer was top shelf with the focus on customer service. We bought very slightly used RV (1600 miles) and they went completely over the unit so that when we drove off everything worked. So I suggest to get some info about who you buy from. Good luck and safe travels.

[aa9zz]

My diesel Sprinter was not expensive to keep up. I used an area Freightliner service/sales shop and had to do little more than change the oil. I got 22 MPG and was able to leave the engine running to keep the inside cool when I went into restaurants or to keep my two dogs cool. Just do not go to a Mercedes dealer to have work done.

If given the opportunity again, I would definitely take the diesel over gas.

What I did not like about the small unit was the size of the holding tanks. I could not stay two nights in a camping area unless it had full service or I moved out to dump.

What my wife did not like about the Sprinter was there was no full time bed. We traded for the Axis, for a large part, so that she would not have to take the bed down each day.

Neither of us liked the bathroom. It was very much like an airline bathroom, but with a shower.

A positive of having a class B first is that we still have empty storage bins. Small space living is an art. Remember, with a Sprinter there is no outside storage. We used a 2X5 foot tray in the hitch.

Phil

[Chance]

Originally Posted by aa9zz

....cut....

If given the opportunity again, I would definitely take the diesel over gas.

....cut....

Phil

Since you like the Mercedes diesel so much, what did you not like about the Winnebago Via or Reyo? If you considered them, other than price, was there something you liked about the Axis better?

They are a little bit smaller than an Axis, but offer many of the same features, except they are rated up to 17 MPG on diesel according to reviewers who have tested them.

[aa9zz]

I think the decision was made by my wife. She likes the look and size of the Axis. I sold my Airstream just a week before a scheduled vacation trip to the coast. She said "I like the Axis and want to take it". I guess it was, a happy wife", etc.

I think I too was taken by the new style and new size and just gave it a try. Since then I have retired and she will soon and we now want a 32-34 multi slide unit so we can snow bird for a few seasons. I don't know if that one will be a diesel or not.


Phil

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Gizmosmom

This forum thread is very interesting to me. We currently own a 2000 Dodge Xplorer Class B van. Have had it for 14 years. It only has 93,000 miles on it. We are retiring now and looking at something with more living space. Our wet bath is extremely small, too.

We will, however, tow our bass boat and so we are looking for something with a towing package or hitch weight of more than 5000 lbs. Also need something more powerful than the V-6.

I did post a question in the towing section about the Axis and Vegas 24.1

Our major concerns are the warranty work (if any) wait times. I know that most of the complaints that I read about Thor are from those who have issues. It's just some food for thought, though.

I must say that most of the posters here are very knowledgeable and friendly. Very refreshing!

The Dodge Xplorer Class B van is one of my favorite Class B's. I always wanted one, especially the dual wheel type.

I sought out many forum threads on the subject when I was trying to decide on going back to a Class B. I realized that the decision had to be mine and mine only. I mainly use the forum when I was trying to determine which make and model to go with.

[timp410]

Originally Posted by Chance

Tim, I'm not sure why a middle ground couldn't have some appeal to buyers that are on the fence between a large Class B and Axis-size Class A. Granted it would be a limited market, but whichever company came out with it they would own 100% of that segment. It's pretty much what Thor has with Axis/Vegas -- there is no direct competitor at present. If a buyer wants a small Class A (and I don't mean just short) their choices are Axis or Vegas.

Physically, based on dimensions, a motorhome between a large van and an Axis is a Hymer (picture attached). With a little clever engineering, a Hymer-type motorhome could be replicated on a Ford E-350 single-rear-wheel chassis.

In my opinion, to make it work, designers would have to stay true to the needs and wants of that "limited" market, and not try to appeal to the masses. There are plenty of choices for the masses already.

And a large part of success would have to include significant improvements in fuel economy. If Axis are typically in 8~9 range, and gasoline vans in 16~17 MPG range, they would have to deliver an honest 12 MPG for marketing reasons.

Chance,
What would be your preferred exterior dimensions for the type of motorhome you would like to see produced?

[timp410]

Originally Posted by KNMIB

We do not have an Axis/Vegas but from what I have red on this forum is that the key is buying from the right dealer that focuses on taking care of the customer. Our dealer was top shelf with the focus on customer service. We bought very slightly used RV (1600 miles) and they went completely over the unit so that when we drove off everything worked. So I suggest to get some info about who you buy from. Good luck and safe travels.

I decided that build quality would not take a back seat when deciding on my next coach followed by what the coach had to offer.