33.3 Model

[Browndrake]

Hello all, been lurking here awhile, great information.

We are looking to get into a Class A diesel, have two small kids so we are looking towards the bunkhouse models (which is very limited needless to say). We want to be able to pull a vehicle so although GVW work on the gas models (which gives us more options) I have convinced myself Diesel is the only way to go.

Have done a lot of research and the Palazzo 33.3 seems perfect in every way.
Things we like:
- Storage and mud room
- TV placement in relation to couch and dinette
- Long bunks, walk around queen
- size of fridge
- entrance to unit mid cab away from passenger seat
- optional overhead bunk that clears away when not needed
- best washroom/shower size/layout of its class
- Freightliner chassis and Cummins power
- Length - we enjoy smaller parks, seems like a perfect size under 35'

After our initial love fest with the unit we have been of course reading all the bad press on these models.

Questions:
- are the slide problems less prevalent on the 33.3 than the other units?
- some concerns about the fumes in the cab - is this a common complaint or more specific to other models?
- Slide issues - would you recommend sticking to later models - 2014/15 and avoid the 2013?
- Ride - I have heard concerns about the gas motorhomes as being scary to drive - is the ride of the Palazzo diesel pushers that much better (air ride suspension) etc.
- Fuel economy?

Appears the weight of the slide on the 33.3 unit would be considerably less than some of the other models that have the washer/dryer, wardrobe and fridge on the slide.

Any idea of good dealers in the NW USA that might be good to deal with? Any dealers in the Colorado/Washington/Utah/Idaho/Montana/Dakota's would be closer to our hoe province of Alberta for service etc..

The other unit we keep coming back to as an alternative is the Jayco Seneca FS bunk models - Class C diesel motorhome but is appears I would be paying approximately the same for 2009/10 Seneca as I would for slightly used 2013 Palazzo 33.2 - the Freightliner Chassis doesn't start until the 2012 units which are considerably more.

Thanks

[mmullane]

I had the same decision criteria, I was looking for a bunk model & was debating between gas vs. diesel.

I test drove gas vs. diesel Class A. IMO difference between the two was night and day. Air suspension + very smooth power at low torque. My wife also got nauseous from the suspension ride in the gas Class A test rides. So it was a Diesel or nothing.

If you are going to look at an older model and are concerned about the slides, I would recommend looking for wear of the slide tracks on the big slide.

Hope that helps.

[BillSkeen]

Overall, I am very happy with my 33.3. Even though I like to complain about the lack of quality repairs, I got quick responses directly from Thor Customer Service.

I too considered the Jayco Seneca FS Bunk model. Only reason I went with the Palazzo was the Jayco was about $10k more at that time and I could not get dealer down to Palazzo price.

Fumes - should be corrected on newer models. I had to have some additional foam sprayed in to stop it completely.

Slides - not going to jinx myself but your logic about weights seems accurate.

Scary Gas models? I had a 31.5ft Winnebago Access before and it was ok. Test drove a few longer Winnebagos before deciding on the Thor. The diesel is great for towing my Silverado Crew Cab. If it were not for the rear view camera, I would forget it was back there. I did put a steering stabilizer and MCUs on to help with the ride some.

Economy, I averaged 11 traveling from Austin, TX to White Sands, NM and back, going up through Ruidoso, NM and down through El Paso, TX. Yes, pulling the truck. I usually run in economy mode and keep my speeds around 60mph.

Good Dealers? Are there any? Invest in learning about your vehicle, buy the right tools for the job and save yourself the hassle of being told "Ah, we need to keep it here another week as Thor has not approved the repairs yet" LOL

Good Luck!

[MisterT]

ours has 25k miles across country several times in our first 12 months, 11.5avg mpg for all miles, diesel prices are now the same or less than regular in many places(diesel 11.5mpg vs our previous Georgetown gasser at 9mpg)... no fumes, great layout for us and our two teens, great TV areas, great Thor service(calls and service center visits) - diesel handles great, mountains are no problem, exhaust brake is superb, and ride is smooth(we don't even know our car is being towed) - get one!

[ChallengerRN]

The 33.3 probably had less issues with the slide for the reason you suggest.

Several of us traded ours off (mine 2013 33.2) because of all the issues.

Maybe the dealer would give you the name of the previous owner and you can check with them ?? Just because the rails on the one your looking at look good really don't mean too much. After I traded mine in they put new rails on it. If they have added a 2nd top rail that would be a better fix.

So yes the 33.3 had less slide issues. Must be a thousand threads on here on the Palazzo so you can read about whatever you want to see.

The ride & drive and fuel milage on the Palazzo was great. Just too many issues above the floor.

I have owned two gas units also. I see nothing scary about the drive on a gas unit. Much cheaper and mine served me well.

Would I buy another Thor?? No.

Russell

[savoybrown]

We too had the same criteria when we were looking to upgrade our Daybreak 32HD. Didn't know much about Diesel Pushers either, but after having made the upgrade from a gas coach, I can honestly say I wouldn't go back. The air ride suspension, diesel efficiency, better handling, (especially on windy days), etc. I know it's about twice the investment in a similar gas coach, but it just feels more solid going down the highway, and even when parked.

There is another option that you can pursue. When we were looking, we had it narrowed down to the Palazzo, in Courtney on Vancouver Island, or a Forest River Georgetown, which was for sale at High River RV. But because I didn't have my air brake endorsement (which is a 20 hour, 3 day course in BC), it sold before we could drive the Daybreak to High River and bring the Georgetown back. They are almost identical in features, so it wasn't that big of a deal, and it's nice to have the dealership closer to home.

We bought the Daybreak at Sunset RV in Washington State, but the dollar was a lot closer to par than it is now. Nice people down there and extremely accommodating, but sure don't miss the drive when things needed repairing under warranty (long story).

We also wanted to stay in the 35' range as we do most of our camping in Washington State parks. Plus, that's about the limit of what I can fit in the driveway.

So far we've had no issues with the Palazzo that I haven't been able to fix on my own, but will still have them looked at before the warranty period expires. The full wall slide out has not been an issue, but again, we've only had 1 trip to Whistler, and a 6 day trip to 3 different State parks in Washington.

We are very careful to follow all the great advice given on this website; such as letting the air out of the air bags prior to leveling and lubricating the gibbs and motor coupler (didn't even know what a gib was a couple of weeks ago)! This forum has a lot of invaluable information, but it takes a real commitment to keep reading to find the good stuff. I feel like I know some of the regular contributors personally and would love to run across them some day.

Best advice I can give you is to keep researching and asking questions. Somebody is always willing to share their 2 cents...

[jondrew55]

I did not see that you had mentioned a price range. We bought a 2014 Fleetwood Excursion this Jan (new, leftover) for $129k. It's a 300 HP Cummins DP on a Freightliner chassis. We really liked the floor plan and so far have had pretty good luck as far as mechanical issues. Not sure how depreciation goes on these things, but since this is now 2 model years old you might be able to find one in your price range.

You also mentioned bunk house so I'm assuming kid(s). Our excursion has a power over cab loft bunk. It's a full queen size and with the ceiling curtain she has her own little apartment up there and it doesn't steal floor space.

We tow our 4700 pound Murano with a dolly and have gone up and down 6% grades with no problems.

Just another point of reference

[HappyCamper7]

We bought our 33.3 for many of the reasons you mentioned. We have travelled all over our country multiple times. We have had absolutely no problems with the slide out or fumes. We average around ten miles per gallon. We did not buy the extended warranty and that has definitely been the right decision so far. We bought the safe t plus steering stabilizer and now my wife feels comfortable driving the motorhome. She is making plans to take the motorhome for a weekend to ride horses with her girl friends. She will be towing the horse trailer behind the motorhome. Good luck.

[jondrew55]

Originally Posted by HappyCamper7

We bought our 33.3 for many of the reasons you mentioned. We have travelled all over our country multiple times. We have had absolutely no problems with the slide out or fumes. We average around ten miles per gallon. We did not buy the extended warranty and that has definitely been the right decision so far. We bought the safe t plus steering stabilizer and now my wife feels comfortable driving the motorhome. She is making plans to take the motorhome for a weekend to ride horses with her girl friends. She will be towing the horse trailer behind the motorhome. Good luck.

I definitely see a girls weekend in the future for my wife and friends once she figures all the systems out.

[David T.]

We love our 2015 33.3. We had a 31' Jayco class C and hated the no power - high RPM engine roar and low gas mileage of the Ford V10 in the mountains. We love the quiet diesel power we now have. Do yourself a favor and test drive a Palazzo.

[Big_Boy]

Our 2015 is only 6 months old and we have driven almost 12,000 miles. From Oklahoma, we've made the following round trips:

1) Florida.
2) Chicago
3) Seattle
4) Chicago

The engine and chassis are great. We've towed on every trip except the 1st one. 10 mpg towing about 4500 lbs (BMW on aluminum trailer), 11 mpg without tow. Always going 65 - 70 mph.

We do have fumes / dust in the coach. I think this is a QC problem that we can solve at the local dealer. The problem is only apparent during exhaust regeneration (you can smell it) and when driving on a dust/dirt/gravel road. It is in the dealership right now trying to solve this.

Our big slide has never really given a problem. Only once did it fail to move and it was my fault. I had my computer case in the way. Oops. I had to call Thor at midnight before we left for Florida and had a great technician talk me through the 'fix'. Ever since, no problems.

The biggest issue with our coach is simple. Quality Control. A bit more care would not cost much money. Cabinetry is made from inferior materials and put together in a huge hurry without care. Plumbing leaks. Sinks that stain and can't be cleaned. And..fuel fill openings that can't be used by mere mortals without getting diesel all over your shoes.

Is it worth it? Even with the above, I would say yes. Just be prepared to be a DIY guy.

[Safetysteve5]

Ditto on the DYI. I've done a lot of work on our 2015 33.3 bunkhouse. We travel with two Border Collies and the lower bunk holds their two kennels. The upper bunk I installed a 3 door "wall" cabinet" for use as a pantry. Zero slide problems. We've made 8 trips and 10,000 miles in this first year. Workmanship is always an issue. We just returned from Camp Freightliner and the couple next to us had a six month old Tiffan Phaeton and they have had more trouble with it than we have had with our Palazzo. I've not needed to have it back to the factory or a service center. Pretty happy with ours especially when you consider what we paid for our Palazzos. Yes, quality should be better, but all-in-all for the $$$$$ it's a pretty nice rig.

[Redridge]

Originally Posted by Safetysteve5

Ditto on the DYI. I've done a lot of work on our 2015 33.3 bunkhouse. We travel with two Border Collies and the lower bunk holds their two kennels. The upper bunk I installed a 3 door "wall" cabinet" for use as a pantry. Zero slide problems. We've made 8 trips and 10,000 miles in this first year. Workmanship is always an issue. We just returned from Camp Freightliner and the couple next to us had a six month old Tiffan Phaeton and they have had more trouble with it than we have had with our Palazzo. I've not needed to have it back to the factory or a service center. Pretty happy with ours especially when you consider what we paid for our Palazzos. Yes, quality should be better, but all-in-all for the $$$$$ it's a pretty nice rig.

Agreed, with a few mods... its an awesome rig!

[RKNOLA]

We owned a Georgetown gas coach before our Palazzo. The Georgetown was a nice coach but the engine noise in the front is so loud that we had to scream to hear each other over the engine. Plus, going up hill in mountain country in a gas coach is just plain scary!!
Yes Diesel is the way to go. Quieter, smoother ride, better fuel economy.
Historically, the 33.3 Palazzo line has not had as many reported slide problems as the 33.2 line has. All the 33.3 owners seem to be happy with their coach with minimal problems. I think a '14 or '15 model would be a better choice since those units weren't the "first year of the model" which for some, the first year model have given the owners trouble. The second or third year of productions gave the manufacturer time to work out "the bugs".
If you go to RVTRADER.com you might be able to find a new 2015 RV at a greatly reduced price. Since the 2016 models are now out, dealerships have to move the 2015 models out so they slash prices on them. Also the manufacturer usually tries to help the dealerships out so they offer "rebates and/or sales incentives".
If you do buy a Thor Diesel the owner's club (thordieselclub.org) is filled with a great group of people. Usually the dealerships throw in a year's free membership to the TDC. (Ask your dealer about what "extras" they give with the sale. Never hurts to ask).
Good Luck on your shopping journey!