2017 Thor Axis 25.2- Prospective Purchaser Questions

Norcal707

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Joined
Apr 12, 2024
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4
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Windsor
Hello, all

My names David and I'm trying to help my Sister out in deciding whether or not to buy a 2017 Thor Axis 25.2 for sale local to her. Since neither of us are familiar with the Thor brand, I figured asking here might help her make a decision.

In general, we'd like to know what Owners think of the brand's build quality. The unit she is looking at has not quite 10k miles. Asking price is $51k.

Thanks - David
 
Last edited:
Hello, David. Sometimes you have to be patient to get a reply. It'd probably help if your question was more specific.

IMO, until you get into the mega dollar custom coaches, build quality isn't a factor to any RV manufacturer. Believe it or not, $50K+ is on the low end! I don't know that particular rig. I've owned everything from a VW camper bus, pop up trailer, pick up truck campers and both Class C & Class A motorhomes (the last two both Thor). They all needed work which fortunately I can do myself. If you (or your sister) are not skilled DIYers you'll be at the mercy of RV dealers (very few of which have a good reputation).

I would advise you to find an independant RV repair shop and pay them to do a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). I'm not sure what that'd cost - I'd guess a few to few more hundred dollars - but it could be money worth spending.
 
Hello, David. Sometimes you have to be patient to get a reply. It'd probably help if your question was more specific.

IMO, until you get into the mega dollar custom coaches, build quality isn't a factor to any RV manufacturer. Believe it or not, $50K+ is on the low end! I don't know that particular rig. I've owned everything from a VW camper bus, pop up trailer, pick up truck campers and both Class C & Class A motorhomes (the last two both Thor). They all needed work which fortunately I can do myself. If you (or your sister) are not skilled DIYers you'll be at the mercy of RV dealers (very few of which have a good reputation).

I would advise you to find an independant RV repair shop and pay them to do a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). I'm not sure what that'd cost - I'd guess a few to few more hundred dollars - but it could be money worth spending.

Thanks, Eric. We went and looked at a slightly larger Forest River unit - she's going to have a inspection done and pending the outcome, will be making an offer on it.
 
We bought a 2016 25.2 and enjoyed it for several years. The build quality was on par with competitors in that price range, arguably as good or better than Forest River. But RV quality (even high end) is nothing like automobiles.

Some Vegas/Axis owners have spent a ton of money on suspension upgrades, while many have been satisfied with just an alignment and proper tire inflation.

Any RV owner will benefit from being handy and willing to learn from forums like this, or have deep pockets when issues arise. And they will. Important to budget for repairs and replacing tires at around 5 years, regardless of mileage.

After dealing with slide out and power step issues in our previous coach, the 25.2 was attractive with no power steps and a light slide out. We liked the walk around queen bed and decent sized shower. We liked the huge windshield and the towing capacity. When tire replacement time came, the Vegas tires were smaller and cheaper than bigger class A coaches. 16 inch vs 19.5.

Send me a pm if you want more from our experiences.
 
I am on my 2nd Thor product. The first was a 2018 Thor Siesta 24SS Class C which we bought brand new in 2018. It fit our needs at the time and the build quality was much better than our previous 2015 Class B van we had from another manufacturer(the class B van was bought brand new in 2015). The best advice would be that it is not just the manufacturer build quality but the dealership service department staff that you might be using after the sale of any motor home. All motor homes will develop issues since they are all basically large boxes on wheels rolling down the highway. Things get loose and break that need to be fixed. Using a dealership for repairs in a motor home is nothing like using a car dealership for car repairs. It takes longer to get appointments and to get the work done if you are not doing it yourself.

Back to build quality. We traded in our 2018 Thor Siesta 24SS after owning it for 3 years because we outgrew it needing more room. In 2022 we bought a 2022 Thor Miramar 37.1 Class A which is what we need. It has needed work on it and we have used our dealership for major items. I have done a lot of minor items, but I was prepared to take it on since we were spending a lot of money on the motor home. I know what to expect from my dealership and know what I can do on my own.

Good luck
Paul
 
Thanks to all for the replies/advice. Sis made an offer of $40k on the Forest River which the owner accepted and she will be picking it up later this week.
 
We have a2016 Axis and love it. We have had a few maintenance issues but mostly cause we were new to the rv life. We have had it 4 years now
 
We have 2021 vegas 24.3. Love the rear bath. Lots of kitchen storage, large closet and pantry, Murphy bed. 18k miles. Very clean. Probably gonna sell, things have come up.
 
Hello, all

My names David and I'm trying to help my Sister out in deciding whether or not to buy a 2017 Thor Axis 25.2 for sale local to her. Since neither of us are familiar with the Thor brand, I figured asking here might help her make a decision.

In general, we'd like to know what Owners think of the brand's build quality. The unit she is looking at has not quite 10k miles. Asking price is $51k.

Thanks - David
We have a 2017 Axis MH 25.2 which we bought new and are very pleased with the interior design (rear slide) and reliability of the engine. There are a few quirky things that we have had to work around - the engine is difficult to access from the front but our mechanic has no trouble with it. The "leather" seats and sofa are starting to crack and peel. But the rig is solid, small, and well designed.
 
We have 2018 Axis 24.1 with about 40,000 miles on it. we love it, size, lay out, storage, etc. Have only made minor changes.
We bought it new. Quality could be better, upholstery of couch and captain seats is not the greatest. It’s already peeling and the exterior paint and decals are cracking.
i wish the smaller rvs were more top of the line rather than entry level quality.
 
Great Choice

Hi, we bought our 2017 Thor Axis 25.3 in Aug 20. Now just over 18,000 MI no real issues. Had to replace outside TV FYI easy change and like brand sold at W-M. Only screwy complaint, wish they'd wire steering wheel controls up instead of makeshift switches that come disconnected. Solid ride, added steering stabilizer and put dynamat insulation under "doghouse".
Now selling as a Disabled veteran having difficulty operating it.
 
Inspection…

Hey David,
As owners of a new Thor coach, I agree that money spent on an inspection is money well spend. In fact, I would bet confidently that you would immediately get your money back with the findings of that inspection. In addition, it will give you and your sister a glimpse in to the future of what owning a coach is like. I think Thor is a decent brand, but the list of minor repairs is a bit of a “fix one, find another” affair.
Best of luck!
Dan

Hello, all

My names David and I'm trying to help my Sister out in deciding whether or not to buy a 2017 Thor Axis 25.2 for sale local to her. Since neither of us are familiar with the Thor brand, I figured asking here might help her make a decision.

In general, we'd like to know what Owners think of the brand's build quality. The unit she is looking at has not quite 10k miles. Asking price is $51k.

Thanks - David
 

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