Quote:
Originally Posted by Leanne
We currently have a Bounder but our family of 10 just does not fit very well. I've searched and searched and found that the Thor Aria 4,000 would be a practical choice for our family.
I haven't been able to find any reviews on it. Does anyone have one? What are your thoughts? Have you had any issues/problems with it?
And does anyone know if it's possible to replace the outdoor TV for an outdoor kitchen instead? And although I haven't seen this but an outdoor kitchen that's practical such as a place to grill not make gourmet coffee.
Thanks!
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Hi Leanne and welcome!
We have the Aria 4000 and have taken two trips in it. It drives and rides great, quiet when in motion, spacious and roomy when all the slides are out. It also has the 55 degree turning radius so it's easier to maneuver in tight areas. The Cummins 360 diesel pusher engine and Allison 6-speed transmission are smooth and quiet, although the engine takes a couple of seconds to get revving from a standing start. It also uses quite a bit of DEF for the exhaust, having a 10-gallon tank. Our TOAD is a 4-door Wrangler Rubicon and the Aria doesn't even know it's back there. Basement storage is huge with all the horizontal doors with 3 that pass through both sides.
The front, middle, and rear interior is separated by two sliding wooden doors, offering privacy in the front, middle (where the bunkhouse and mid-bath are), and the rear where the tilting King bed and the master bathroom reside-complete with a bigger shower and Jack and Jill sinks. The water heater is tankless and works well once you figure out it's sweet spots. The galley turns into a bed, as well as a fold-out full size bed in the couch. The overhead electric bunk bed sleeps two more but I think the weight limit is 350 pounds. 2 full bathrooms was a must-have for us, and the mid-bath is advertised with a "tub" but only for an infant or toddler, not baby-boomers like us! A stacked washer and dryer is included in the mid area next to the fridge. The kitchen has a convection microwave ONLY-no oven. The bunkhouse TVs include DVD players in the side of each unit while the front and rear TVs work from a central command center, also with DVD players and satellite antennas. I do not know if the outside TV area can be converted to a kitchenette but I suppose at a cost, anything is possible.
It is a thin center aisle when "buttoned up" for travel and you cannot access the rear bathroom w/o climbing over the bed.
The fridge door in ours will not remain closed even with the locking latch-put your galley bed cushion in front of the door, and use some packing tape to tape the doors shut until the latch can be inspected and/or repaired. One of our dash fans is overheating on HIGH-waiting on the dealer at EOM. Our dash AC hasn't worked from the date of delivery-another warranty item. Our kitchen sinks' drain plumbing broke on the 2nd trip-awaiting warranty work....
With twin furnaces and twin AC units (with heat pumps) there are plenty of BTUs to keep the coach warm or cold as necessary. The coach also includes automatic generator start should you be away from the coach during a power failure with your pets inside. The generator will kick on to regulate the inside temps depending on where you set your thermostats.
Automatic hydraulic jacks make the coach stable when in base camp. Blow the air bags to reduce ground clearance before setting the jacks, and set the jacks before extending the 3 slides.
Even with the repair issues (that ALL motor homes have at first) we love our 4000 and plan to retire full time into it in a couple of years.
Best of luck with your RV search-hope this helps!
GVP
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