thor palazzo

[shawnluther]

I currently own a georgetown 320DS and was looking at upgrading to the new 2013 Thor Palazzo 33.3... its the unit with bunks beds...I am looking for feedback from people on the Thor line.. It looks like a very nice coach
thank you kindly

[tcopeland]

We have a 33.1. Love it!

[Butte64]

I have a 33.1 with about 4K miles on it. This is my first MH and I wanted a new DP I could afford. We really enjoy it as it is the right size for us and has all the features we need.

Go to the Owners forums in the Thor Owners section and you will see several threads devoted to the Palazzo. There have been 195 sold and I have not seen anyone yet post that they wanted to get rid of it. Reading the posts will tell you things to look for. I think two key factors are a thorough PDI and the quality of your dealer.

[TheArnolds]

We have the 33.1 and we love it. The is my second MH, first DP, prior was a front end diesel. The size and ease of handling is perfect for us. We pull a Honda CRV on a dolly and we don't even know it is back there.

I am currently in the middle of my second long trip (round trip 2200 mi) currently in Tampa Florida. Or trips have taken us from upper Michigan to Tampa Florida and we have averaged 10.9 MPG (with TOAD) and I currently have 4400 miles.

There are a number of threads dedicated to the Palazzo that include 33.2 owners. Good luck!

[ChallengerRN]

Originally Posted by shawnluther

I currently own a georgetown 320DS and was looking at upgrading to the new 2013 Thor Palazzo 33.3... its the unit with bunks beds...I am looking for feedback from people on the Thor line.. It looks like a very nice coach
thank you kindly

I have the 33.2. I have 8900 miles on it. Longest trip was out West and was 4700 mile. My avg mpg on that trip was 10.4. I generally run about 62 mph. My previous two RV were gas. The ride & drive of the Palazzo is excellent. I have added a steering stabilizer. Not sure it makes that much difference but should help in case of a blowout. We love ours and would recommend the Palazzo to anyone.

[Redridge]

you just missed the 2013 model... they are sell 2014 models now. We just ordered a 33.3 and will let you know what our impressions are... be warned though, its our first MH.

[jimbooth25]

I have a 33.3 and love it < we also have the bunk above the drivers area and use the bunk beds as storage/ bar, we have 2557 miles on it. we moved up from a 2012 coachmen Mirada 32 bh, this unit rides smoother and has more power and just seams better drive wise all over, and also the quality is a lot better, we tow a jeep wrangler behind ours but were told we can tow my f150 also, and we also tow a golf cart for the weekend trips. this unit has a lot of storage and the lay out is one of the best in my own opinion, more counter space, bigger shower, residential fridge, etc. we love ours. don't be afraid to ask any questions will try to respond asap, as we are on a trip to florida this month.

[HeavyH2O]

We have a current bunk bed RV (Class C, Itasca 31JP) and decided to update to the Palazzo 33.3 after a lot of research.



Plus items:

• two slides so it travels well when not expanded - big plus to access bunks on the road without expanding.
• the option for a bunk above the front cab is nice for guests without redoing the couch or dinette
• good towing capacity - 10,000 pound capable hitch (with load bars) which will be more realistically about 7,000 with GVWR
• smaller length - easy to park, maneuver and get into state parks
• good chassis with smooth ride - Freightliner and air ride
• paint quality - very nice quality - will hold up for years
• bedroom size - layout means you can walk all the way around the bed with adequate room
• bunk layout - most flexible of the bunch and the most spacious. TV moves locations, the beds can be configured as a couch and the doors are held in place by a magnet, open or closed without encumbering on space.
• price - very good value
• I liked the hidden and adjustable hinges on the wood doors

Negatives:

• only can get vinyl flooring
• the doors are the only hardwoods used - rest are veneers
• the residential fridge is nice for space but the screw used to hold the door closed when moving is less than an elegant solution. I think a easy to use clip fastener would have been better.
• not a raised rail chassis - so, storage is a bit more limited but it maintains a lower profile (12 feet)

There are other items, of course, but these helped sway our decision. We had looked at the Berkshire 390BH and Sportscoach 385DS, as well, but those had some odd compromises considering their size. For example, the Berkshire was very cramped in the sleeping quarters, especially with the bunk doors open. When traveling, the bunks were effectively inaccessible. I think the Palazzo is the leader for balance of features in the compact diesel pusher category which is why they are hard to find on hand for very long.

[George Lewis]

As some of you know, I am a 33.1 wantabe and have been shopping (not really as I have already made up my mind for the 33.1) Problem is some health (wife) problems restrict time to travel and our '99 Bounder V10 runs like a hose and we love the floorplan.

One question about the 33.1 when traveling. On short stops for PR, etc, how much wiggle room is there with slides closed, expecially the driver side so we can walk back to the bathroom, frige. etc.

I would like your comments on moving around the coach with slides closed while parked.

Another question. You stop at a level camp site. Do you hook up sewer and water first....then extend slides or....??

With my large fresh water (100 gal) and waste tanks, (50/50) I don't always hook up at a overnight stop....skip a day or two. Does this work for you...there is only three of us...the sweet wife, my self and Buster (our African Grey parrot we have had over 30 years)

Another problem is we are older 80 and 75 and showering is not real easy for the wife...balance, etc. We have a nice tub/shower in the Bounder but new RVs nearly all only have showers. I guess a stool or something to sit on would work. I have seen showers with seats built in, but not the models we like. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[TheArnolds]

Originally Posted by George Lewis

As some of you know, I am a 33.1 wantabe and have been shopping (not really as I have already made up my mind for the 33.1) Problem is some health (wife) problems restrict time to travel and our '99 Bounder V10 runs like a hose and we love the floorplan.

One question about the 33.1 when traveling. On short stops for PR, etc, how much wiggle room is there with slides closed, expecially the driver side so we can walk back to the bathroom, frige. etc.

I would like your comments on moving around the coach with slides closed while parked.

Another question. You stop at a level camp site. Do you hook up sewer and water first....then extend slides or....??

With my large fresh water (100 gal) and waste tanks, (50/50) I don't always hook up at a overnight stop....skip a day or two. Does this work for you...there is only three of us...the sweet wife, my self and Buster (our African Grey parrot we have had over 30 years)

Another problem is we are older 80 and 75 and showering is not real easy for the wife...balance, etc. We have a nice tub/shower in the Bounder but new RVs nearly all only have showers. I guess a stool or something to sit on would work. I have seen showers with seats built in, but not the models we like. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi George, nice to hear from you again!

Sorry to hear about your wife’s health issues and we pray that her condition improves quickly! Let me see if I can comment on your questions and what I am about to say is mine and my DW’s opinion and based on our physical size (me 5’ 9” 200 lbs and my dear wife is much smaller 5’ 2” 130 lbs). I am telling you this because our opinion as to amount of room available with the slides retracted is based largely on our physical size.

Now after saying all this we can move front to back, use the bathroom, access the frig, etc without any difficulty. Others have commented on being unable to open (wide) the frig door, freezer opens all the way. We are able to get sandwich makings and drinks at rest areas without any difficulty.

As for hooking up the electric/water/sewer/etc prior to extending the large slide. I do the connections first because all of the connection stuff is stored in the bay below the slide and it is easier without stooping under the extended slide.

On our way to Tampa (our current location) we dry camped in my brother-in-laws driveway for 3 nights and used the MH facilities for most of our needs. We spent 2 days on the road after this and our holding tanks were full when we arrived in Tampa. We still had some fresh water remaining in the tank.

As for the shower, again based on our size we could, if needed, place a small stool in the shower and have enough room get it done.

I hope this helps?
Jack

[tcopeland]

Agree with Jack;
I to store my hook-up gear in the drivers side bay (have in clear containers). I do all the hook-ups before openning the main slide and store the containers. I've had two back operations so bending down and crawling under the slide is not something I want to do. I always dump the air bags, level, hook-up, then extend slide. In that order. The wife dumps and levels while I'm getting the gear out and start hooking up. By the time I'm done she's ready to extend the slides and then bleed water lines.

We have no issue with movement in the rig. You can get to stuff in the frig if you pack it right knowing that the door only opens about a 1/3 of the way. Only one other compartment is closed with the main slide in (under the TV).
Shower is much better than the class C we had. I'm 6'3" and have no problems. It appears there would be room for a small stool.

Good luck............ There's ton's of help on the Palazzo Owners thread!

[George Lewis]

Thanks to Tom and Jack. Good information and you have answered my questions. I have been lurking and keeping up with your comments and travels. The wife asked about the movement with the slides in. She said "thanks" also.