Community Forums

AdamWorth · 06-22-2019, 06:02 AM

I recently sold my second home and instead of purchasing another home, the wife and I decided to purchase an RV. I initially wanted the largest I could afford, however, they wife simply refuses to buy anything larger than 30'. Anyway, we're both in our 30s with no kids, so a 30' would be fine. We do sometimes travel with our 5 nephews and nieces though.

Since I don't have an unlimited budget, I was looking at the Thor 30.4 ACE, I like the price and the floor layout. However, after some digging around, I read some horror stories, regarding Thor as a company and standing behind their product. Also, since we plan on making long trips (2000 miles one way), I started looking at gas mileage and now considering a Mercedes Sprinter chassis RV. It is about 25' and claims up to 18MPG, which is much higher than the ACE at 8-9MPG. Where I am torn is that the ACE offers much more sleeping capacity, it is larger than the Sprinter, yet costs less.

If you own any ACE model or Sprinter base MH, would you care to share your experience? What you liked, didn't like, issues you've had with the MH and/or manufacturer? Average MPG, etc.?

We are looking to purchase in September and since this will be a large purchase, I want to research as much as possible.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

GCSuper · 06-22-2019, 07:51 AM

Motorhomes and boats shrink when they're put in service. What seems like a big unit now, may not seem that way a few trips down the road. Entry level coaches like the Thor Ace plummit in value as soon as you sign the papers. We looked at a Thor Hurricane/Windsport when We were shopping as we liked the floor plan, but every one we looked at had so many defects that were visible and made us look harder. Thor takes a beating on social media too so that can devalue your purchase further. Your best bet is a used coach and after using it for a while you'll have a better idea of what works and what doesn't.

sbleiweiss · 06-22-2019, 08:07 AM

We have been reasonably happy with two new Thors over the years (not Ace though) and I read bad stories about Newmars and Tiffins too. You should also consider the maintenance costs for the Mercedes versus the Ford.

Gary RVRoamer · 06-22-2019, 08:29 AM

Once your wife spends some time inside a 30 ft RV, she may change her mind. Either about the size or the entire notion of living in an RV. A 30 footer is only about 250 sq ft and that includes a 30 sq ft chunk used for the bed. They seem to shrink after a couple weeks of use. There also isn't a lot of closet space and the kitchen is tiny with limited storage space.

Teamfoxy · 06-22-2019, 10:17 AM

Look at the amount of cargo capacity that you can carry with any RV you are considering. Remember that this capacity includes occupants and water as well as the stuff you carry. The Sprinters do not usually have a lot of cargo capacity and I don't think the Ace does either. The Sprinters mostly come with LP generators and that was another turn off for us. The Ace's we looked at only had a single induction cooktop and a microwave. Not acceptable for long term camping.
We are currently on our 4th RV, a 34 foot Class A gas coach. Beyond 35, we would have trouble getting sites in the kind of camprounds we favor and 34 is large enough for the two of us. The last RV was a 25 foot Class C and while we could live with it, storage space was always lacking and we were constantly up against the rear axle capacity.
With any coach, make sure that you get a wheel base that is at least 55% of the overall length. They handle much better than ones with long rear overhangs and it is much easier to distribute the cargo weights. The other thing we consider a must is that you can use the coach with the slides in. I.E. How do you nap in a rest area if the bed is folded in half?
It's my personal view that we would never buy a new RV. Let someone else take the depreciation hit and deal with all the issues that new RV's seem to have.

Sandy Swede · 06-22-2019, 06:02 PM

We started out with a Winnie View (Sprinter chassis, 25'). We toured from east coast to Glacier NP with 2 terriers. We did not tow a vehicle but the previous owner towed a Mini-Cooper. We had a wonderful time but after two years wanted something bigger. Yes, more room in the Thor Ace, but no comparison in the quality department. Why not rent a Class C for a while?

RVThere · 06-22-2019, 06:21 PM

I currently own both a Class A (2008 40' Winn Tour) and a Class C (2017 Winn View V model). I had a Class B but for some reason my wife said three RV's was a little too much...

My wife LOVES the Class A and detests the Class C. We use the class A for specific long trips with family or to keep it at our home in the Keys to serve as extra bedrooms for guests. We've had it for 10 years and it feels like home. At about 110,000 miles.

I LOVE my Class C. Sprinter chassis, easy to drive, easy to park, decent storage, can tow my Jeep. Just drove it from NJ to MS to FL in the last week (2000 miles). I have 45,000 miles on this coach already and we're taking it to WY and AK later in July.

Your 5 nieces and nephews will not fit safely (car seat or seat belt) on any RV as they're just not made with kids in mind. 1 or 2 maybe, but not all of them at one time.

Don't get a gasser Class A. Way too many hassles trying to fit into gas stations and fight with the cars for room at the pump. Both of mine are diesels so I have the option to fill at the roomy truck side.

All service at RV dealers is expensive. But they sure do treat you nice at Mercedes when you bring your Sprinter in. I had it in last week for an airbag recall and an alignment and they even gave me a free loaner car!

Let me know if you have any specific questions as you continue your research.

momdoc · 06-22-2019, 07:45 PM

Welcome to the forum.

You are joining a good group of folks here with good information to share. We had a sprinter Class C and loved it, but found it too small and upgraded to a DP last year. I would avoid a Thor product.

Enjoy the adventure!

Soppy · 06-22-2019, 08:05 PM

We had a class C , then moved up to a 32' class A . The C was great for a weekend getaway , but lacked storage and holding tank capacity.

Isaac-1 · 06-23-2019, 03:05 AM

I would suggest renting a 30 ft class A for a week, and then see if your wife still feels the same way.

Podivin · 06-23-2019, 03:36 AM

Next time you're in one think "It's raining outside, we're stuck inside for a few hours (or days), where are 7 of us going to sit comfortably to read or watch TV or play games?".
For that matter, where are you going to sit for meals?
I think 30' is going to get very small at that point. To ME it would be tight for 2 people, and not at all comfortable for 7.

AdamWorth · 06-23-2019, 05:24 AM

Thanks for all the quick and great responses! I never really knew how many RV options are out there. Part of the issue my wife has with anything larger than a 30' is that she feels she won't be able to drive it. I told her that if she can drive a 30' she can probably drive a 36' or 42' (I could be wrong). Anyway, about 99% of the time it will mainly be my wife and I with a small dog. Once a year we do make a road trip where I pick up my 5 nieces and nephews. The youngest one is 12 and the oldest is 16. Someone mentioned that it wouldn't be safe for transporting that many people. So I have a question on that, one of the RVs I looked at, had 4 seat belts on the dinette and 2 on the sofa, I thought that meant it was ok to transport up to 6 passengers. Is that not the case?

I will stay away from Thor, it seems they do have a very bad reputation. For making such a large purchase, I don't feel comfortable going with Thor. Are there any MH manufacturers I should be looking at? It is such a shame with Thor because they do have some models where the floorplan and price are right, but may not be worth the headaches.

We live in New England and drive to Texas every year. One of our plans with the RV is to drive it down to Texas and a spend a month or two down there in the winter.

Teamfoxy · 06-23-2019, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVThere

Don't get a gasser Class A. Way too many hassles trying to fit into gas stations and fight with the cars for room at the pump. Both of mine are diesels so I have the option to fill at the roomy truck side.

That is absolute BS. There are plenty of stations where we have no problems getting gas for our 34 foot Class A. You quickly learn which pumps you can easily get into and the times of day the stations are not too busy.

chrisngrod · 06-23-2019, 08:03 AM

First trip was a little over 2000 miles in a Hurricane 34J. I didn't have any issues trying to pull into or out of gas pumps.

2 adults, 3 kids and 2 small dogs so we appreciated the space.

Doing a bit of research helped deal with the initial trip issues. Not letting any of it stop us though and have two more trips planned already.

Going to tow our sedan on an aluminum flatbed trailer next time. Should be interesting.

Just had needs that out classed the Sprinter based stuff unfortunately.