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Old 08-28-2016, 12:31 PM   #1
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Assistance with Newbie purchase in next 3 months

Hi, the wife and I and 2 teen kids have rented class C's several times over the last 4 years. Now headed to Hershey show in Sept to finally purchase our own rig. I've done research almost daily and overloaded my brain on floor plans, styles and family needs. Settled on 2 main units: ForestRiver Georgetown 364TS or Thor Hurricane 34J. Here is my question; Which manufacturer has the better reputation? better history, better quality etc? I truly understand, regardless of manufacturer, any unit even the $300K plus units leave the factory with issues that need to be worked out. But what I don't know is between these 2 brands, am I comparing equals, a Honda to a Toyota or do I know so little about RV manufacturers that I'm comparing a Kia to Lexus. Are these Manufacturers in the same range of quality? Yes, I know I'm purchasing a low end $100K Class A so I know I'm not getting top of the line quality, but I also want recommendations from people who have experience with either or both brands. For example, we originally looked to purchase a class C through our RV rental agent. She has a Thor Chateau Class C and when we expressed interest she claimed, "OMG stay away from the Chateau!" Now, that simple comment has me afraid of the Thor Hurricane. Hopefully on here I can find enough info to support or undermine her claims and come to the right decision on which brand to look at more closely at the show in Sept. Thanks in advance! Chris
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Old 08-28-2016, 01:44 PM   #2
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As a former 03 Hurricane owner I put 30+ K trouble free miles on the 8.1 Chevy Vortec Workhorse P32 , I was very happy with that entry level rig. But the best part about it was the big block 8.1 motor. Now you are only going to get the noisy Ford so they are about equal in build quality and features. Floor plan is probably the most important issue in choosing between them. I would pay that money for an older gently used higher end diesel but I am heavily biased on that subject.


I have been to many RV shows and always felt that the rigs the dealer took to the shows were rigs that they wanted to get rid of. If you find what you want at the show, bid really low, give them your cell # and walk away. They will say that they have special finance rates and prices that you can only get at the show. That's crap...They have lots of tricks up their sleeves. I once had a salesman (named Gator) quote me a price and wanted me to sign a piece of notebook paper saying I would buy the rig at that price today. He also wanted my drivers lisc to take to the "Boss" to run my credit. Are they all like that, probably not but it is certainly an adversarial situation trying to by an RV. I would not go to that Rv show feeling that I absolutely was going to buy a motorhome "Today". There will be someone who will post that their salesman was great and very helpful. You may be tough as nails and fully understand the game.. I just hate to see new RV buyers getting taken to the cleaners.
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Old 08-28-2016, 02:05 PM   #3
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As far as engine noise I can assume its going to be similar to the 2 different brand Class c's we've rented several times. Being that we started this purchase journey expecting to buy a class C but are now considering an A, the engine noise won't be that much of an issue. Especially given the fact that a budget in the sub $110K range really only lets us look at Gas A's.

I hear ya when you say you're partial to the diesel pusher as almost all owners posting on forums indicate that they'd rather spend their budget on a used diesel than a new gas. But here in lies the problem with that....,the wife! LOL She has a propensity toward new. UGGHHHH, but what am I to do. Looks like a new gas A is in my future.

We definitely aren't headed to the show to purchase. We genuinely planned on going there to research class C vs c;ass A for ourselves. But in the meantime we've done significant research online and realized some class A's with everything we'rte looking for are in our budget. Hence we think we're headed right for the class A displays when we get there. One thing I seem to have realized is that RV's are like boats, after your get the 31 footer you are instantly realizing your family would have been more comfortable in the 38 footer and you start shopping before the next season rolls around. We think we can avoid hat by going larger now since it's in our budget.

As for the sales men at the show, I appreciate the heads up. Being that we're not headed there with the intent to come home with a unit I definitely can imagine we'd be tough customers like you suggest. We have a marriage rule, never make a purchase of an item over several grand on the same day. It's paid off huge with our vehicle purchases as once you walk out the dealer door having not signed paperwork, they instantly need you more than you need them. We're headed down with that attitude and the only way I could see taking a unit from there would be if I am several grand under some of the best prices I can get quoted from sites like RV trader or MHSRV etc. (not to mention the wife's aversion to an RV that several thousand people paraded through).

I do have a "show" question though, should we decide that lets say, ForestRiver Georgetown is the one for us, or even the Thor, can I order my model I want at the show? If I make an order from the show, or even my local dealer, what's the typical delivery time on an RV that is literally manufactured for you? Just curious because I've actually already prepped the kids that we're probably not driving home an RV from Hershey. I see way to many decent prices online, well within our budget, and even before you suggested it, I doubted they were going to make "an offer I can't refuse" at a show. Plus I can see myself pitting competing offers against dealers from all around the country. I'd be happy to fly to pick it up for a great price, especially to like Texas or Arizona since I have family there and could incorporate a visit before the ride home.

Thanks for the info!!
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Old 08-29-2016, 07:48 AM   #4
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A few ideas and wishing you all the best.

I have a Thor '16 Miramar 33.5. We picked that model after doing my research, lots of walk throughs, etc just like you are doing.

First, I didn't go diesel because of the cost, because I couldn't feel the power difference when we tested. With newer gas coaches the engine noise isn't as bad and soundproofing helps. BTW check out the Wynns. Their you tubes on the gas diesel discussion is helpful. I also checked the noise level with a decibel meters. It's mostly road noise, not engine noise, I compared it to my Explorer. I'm also doing some upgrades on handling because it will help address some of the issues we knew about, given the cost and platform differences. It is what it is.

Second, don't buy until you go to a factory tour. I can't say that forcefully enough. It helped me chose between Thor and Coachman. Worth the time investment.

Third, I didn't find any show deals that were better that what I could do on my own at a local dealer walking in with my own financing. When you add that to knowing how it was built, we felt comfortable with where we ended up.

Good luck on this. We bought new for a couple of reasons knowing full well what that means in terms of working out the kinks. Loving it so far.
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Old 08-29-2016, 07:48 AM   #5
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In my experience ordering one that the dealer doesn't already have or have in the pipeline costs you more than choosing one of the two options I just mentioned. BTW, we are like your wife, prefer new and so bought gas. Have been relatively happy with the two Thor's we have had.
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Old 08-29-2016, 08:59 AM   #6
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When I ordered our Thor ACE, we went to the show, then went to our local dealer, saw them on the lot (they had 3 of the model we wanted), and then ORDERED the one we wanted because the wife wanted a "fresh one". Price was better than show price. Our dealer wanted us to be happy with such a large purchase (for us), and we got the options and colors WE wanted.

saying that: I personally won't by another Thor. Traded it a year and half later for a Tiffin. The Hurricanes are a step up from the ACEs, but they have the exact same dash. I'd avoid the lighter chassis as they don't have the front track bar so they don't handle as well.

My only advice: Shop, research, don't by an entry level if you can get a little better quality unit, spend a little extra. Don't know anything about the Georgetowns, so you'll have to do your homework.

there are many happy owners of each brand. Shop with an open mind and find the floorplan that fits your needs - then compare the brands with those floor plans.

I'll be at the Hershey Show from Wed-Fri shopping for ACCESSORIES! It'll be a lot of fun. Enjoy!
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Old 08-29-2016, 09:45 AM   #7
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I looked at the Georgetown 364TS. I was not happy with the quality of build and the amenities. For a just about $5k more I got a Bounder that I am pretty happy with. It has a lot more 'bang for the buck IMHO. REV Group (parent to Fleetwood) has a good rep on fixing items that left the factory undetected.
Let us know what you decide.
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Old 08-29-2016, 11:19 AM   #8
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You definitely want to get enough room. We originally were looking at 25-30 footers. We just bought an FR3 32DS in July and just finished a 2500 mile trip from Florida to Wisconsin and back, so far we are happy with the FR. I'm glad we got the bigger one. I have a friend that has a GT and he likes it a lot. My year's worth of research revealed that you can find many people unhappy with their purchase for one reason or another. The quality control seems to be an issue with many of the RV companies. One thing I noticed on our trip was a lot of Allegro's, they were out of our budget. The most important thing I learned from the forums was floorplan, floorplan, floorplan. Also, don't be afraid to put out a ridiculously low offer. You might be surprised. If you find a 2016 I'd make sure it has the 6 speed tranny PRND421. Hope this helps.
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Old 08-30-2016, 04:46 AM   #9
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Howdy! I understand the attraction of buying a brand spanking new vehicle and for decades, I used to buy new vehicles all the time, straight off the showroom floor. Ever since the collapse of the economy in 2008, I pretty much only buy used now and primarily pay cash. The depreciation and market and gas cost change potential is so great for RV's. A new RV could lose half of its value in a single year if the economic climate were to change or once gas prices go back up to $3-4 per gallon. The RV market is booming but there is a ton of used RV's on the market. The surplus of bank repossessed RV's is also very high which says something. The used inventory and new production with financing can't be sustained. I would suggest only buying new if you really know what you want and are set on keeping it for many, many years or if money is of no concern. In the case of an entry level motorhome, I would really urge you to look at some higher quality but slightly used ones. Most motor homes aren't used very much and you can look to find one owner ones that have really been cared for and the kinks have been worked out of them....buy from the owner! What frequently happens with a first time buyer is that they end up "learning" what they like and don't like of their first rig and then trade it in 1-2 years for what they want. So why buy a brand new one only to be traded in a couple of years and lose a ton of money in the process. If you have to buy new....wait until you have a little experience under your belt with owning a used class A and then buy your dream motorhome that will hopefully last and make you happy for a long time. Lots of folks end up upside down in RV's and boats because they thought they had to buy new and then can't get out from under them when trying to trade. I don't mean to rain on your parade of the excitement of buying your first new RV but am just trying to provide you with a little practical advice. Good luck with your decision!
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Old 08-30-2016, 11:11 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Inthe70s View Post
Howdy! I understand the attraction of buying a brand spanking new vehicle and for decades, I used to buy new vehicles all the time, straight off the showroom floor. Ever since the collapse of the economy in 2008, I pretty much only buy used now and primarily pay cash. The depreciation and market and gas cost change potential is so great for RV's. A new RV could lose half of its value in a single year if the economic climate were to change or once gas prices go back up to $3-4 per gallon. The RV market is booming but there is a ton of used RV's on the market. The surplus of bank repossessed RV's is also very high which says something. The used inventory and new production with financing can't be sustained. I would suggest only buying new if you really know what you want and are set on keeping it for many, many years or if money is of no concern. In the case of an entry level motorhome, I would really urge you to look at some higher quality but slightly used ones. Most motor homes aren't used very much and you can look to find one owner ones that have really been cared for and the kinks have been worked out of them....buy from the owner! What frequently happens with a first time buyer is that they end up "learning" what they like and don't like of their first rig and then trade it in 1-2 years for what they want. So why buy a brand new one only to be traded in a couple of years and lose a ton of money in the process. If you have to buy new....wait until you have a little experience under your belt with owning a used class A and then buy your dream motorhome that will hopefully last and make you happy for a long time. Lots of folks end up upside down in RV's and boats because they thought they had to buy new and then can't get out from under them when trying to trade. I don't mean to rain on your parade of the excitement of buying your first new RV but am just trying to provide you with a little practical advice. Good luck with your decision!
To all of you above, I greatly appreciate everyone's input. I totally get the common thread that is coming through about buying used with all the kinks worked out. That will probably be my greatest feat ever if I can accomplish that as it requires I convince the wife why used is better than new. Talk about uphill battles! Lol.

One of the reasons we are looking at these 2 large models is that we want to over buy and buy once, rather than fall in the pattern of trading it in for larger in 2-3 years. That said I think it seems like the 2 brands are both on par. I'd love to start looking at Tiffin but unless I move to the used realm I think i'd instantly be looking at a $20 - 50K jump in cost for new.

I have the FR3 on the list also to look at at the show but the wife is unhappy with the TV wall placement, behind the table resulting in people at the table seated with their backs to the screen. (Yes, I told her camping is about being in nature, but she still wants to watch the Housewives. Lol) The GT addressed this by putting it opposite all the seating above the sink. We'll spend time in each coach to see whether these are real issues or things we can live with.

Im glad to hear no one is pushing that "You HAVE to buy at the shows", "You'll never see prices like that from a dealer". That seems to be universal that shows prices can also be had at a dealer at off show times. Huge relief in that it takes the pressure of to wonder if we need to rush a decision at Hershey. We'll probably use the show to just really narrow down the right model then search dealers for the best price, maybe even putting it off till the spring so I dont have to manage storage over the winter.

Thanks again to all of you!
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Old 08-30-2016, 04:34 PM   #11
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Agree with everyone else on buy used first. We went low end budget just to make sure we would use it as much as we hoped and to learn what we liked and didn't like, and not necessarily just in size/length. There is LOTS to consider in options that are needed for your travel lifestyle and options that are totally unnecessary or even burdensome. For example, slide number and preferred sides. Basement storage vs cabinet storage. Booth vs dinette. Outdoor entertainment or kitchen? Washer/dryer combo? Things I didn't think were important turned out to be significant pluses to our traveling lifestyle. Things I thought I wanted were easily ruled out as we planned our upgrade. Let your wife enjoy some research on these pages. I am on here MORE than my husband lol. I am so thankful for the twenty months we spent with our entry level coach learning about our preferences! Even though you have rented some class Cs you are stepping up into an entirely different class by buying a new Class A. Not better not worse...just different. Also, x2 on the fact that many many owners that buy new testify the first year or more has much too much time spent in the shop fixing "bugs" ... JMHO
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Old 08-30-2016, 05:32 PM   #12
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Poppawolf, it sounds like you have done some pretty good research so i'm sure you have this figured out. I see that both have a couch and dinette that make into beds. My 8 year old sleeps good on the dinette in our class A but it doesn't work well for me at my 5'10" height. Also, the putting up and down of the table isn't hard but it does get kinda old when we're out on a several day trip.

One thing that would be of concern for me is the long slide on the Thor. Hopefully they have it worked out where problems won't come up.
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Old 08-30-2016, 06:11 PM   #13
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We have a 2008 low mileage DP

We've been looking at the new ones for about a year - Newmar, Tiffen, Entegra, you name it

Frankly we are disappointed with the average build quality compared to our 08

To keep the price in line, it appears to us the builders are cutting back on the materials in the newer units

It's worse at the lower end

We've finally decided to spend a few grand and keep what we have

I add my vote to those who say look for a 200x model low mileage DP

There are lots out there that left the showroom at 250k and can be bought now for less than half that

And the engines aren't even broken in yet
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Old 08-30-2016, 07:14 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by adamfolger View Post
As a former 03 Hurricane owner I put 30+ K trouble free miles on the 8.1 Chevy Vortec Workhorse P32 , I was very happy with that entry level rig. But the best part about it was the big block 8.1 motor. Now you are only going to get the noisy Ford so they are about equal in build quality and features. Floor plan is probably the most important issue in choosing between them. I would pay that money for an older gently used higher end diesel but I am heavily biased on that subject.


I have been to many RV shows and always felt that the rigs the dealer took to the shows were rigs that they wanted to get rid of. If you find what you want at the show, bid really low, give them your cell # and walk away. They will say that they have special finance rates and prices that you can only get at the show. That's crap...They have lots of tricks up their sleeves. I once had a salesman (named Gator) quote me a price and wanted me to sign a piece of notebook paper saying I would buy the rig at that price today. He also wanted my drivers lisc to take to the "Boss" to run my credit. Are they all like that, probably not but it is certainly an adversarial situation trying to by an RV. I would not go to that Rv show feeling that I absolutely was going to buy a motorhome "Today". There will be someone who will post that their salesman was great and very helpful. You may be tough as nails and fully understand the game.. I just hate to see new RV buyers getting taken to the cleaners.
I'd have to agree about purchasing a high end, older diesel pusher instead of an entry level new coach & that the floor plan IS soo important... Actually, I agree with everything Adam says! Good luck with your search & let us know when you get your new coach!
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