Community Forums

vvoicemaker · 03-06-2013, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuffster

Sure like to hear more about the Avanti's on this thread. I am a long time diesel pusher user, tried the View and found it too small for long durations. The Avanti now seems to be just the right size...but why did Damon drop it for 2013? The "lower, narrower, lighter" idea seems right. Added to a nice interior finish....I am suprised that other manufacturers haven't picked up on this. (Vesta, by Monaco, yes, but $$$). Tell me what you like and also what the short comings might be.

Thanks, Dave

(Just sold the View, now looking again)

I wondered the same thing. Contacted Thor and they told me they dropped the AVanti because the motor/chassis combo had become too expensive!

vvoicemaker · 03-06-2013, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andytran

I have a 2011 Avanti 2806 bought new May 2011.It has 1300miles. Due to a financial reversal I would like to sell. On consignment with local RV dealer but I will take back on Sept.1,2012 if he has,nt sold by then. I will then be free to negotiate on my own.- Andy

Is your Avanti still available?

Margina · 03-10-2013, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuffster

Sure like to hear more about the Avanti's on this thread. I am a long time diesel pusher user, tried the View and found it too small for long durations. The Avanti now seems to be just the right size...but why did Damon drop it for 2013? The "lower, narrower, lighter" idea seems right. Added to a nice interior finish....I am suprised that other manufacturers haven't picked up on this. (Vesta, by Monaco, yes, but $$$). Tell me what you like and also what the short comings might be.

Thanks, Dave

(Just sold the View, now looking again)

We have a 2012 Avanti 3106 with 12000 mi. Purchased in Dec 2011. Took trip out west last summer for three weeks. Towed Mini Cooper and averaged 13.5 mpg including mountains. Has plenty of power and plenty of room for two and our dog. Love the storage. Room for bikes inside flo-thru rear storage. Also, great for tailgating during football season. Unfortunately, wife has been diagnosed w/ kidney failure and have not been able to rv since our summer trip. She wants to sell but I have fond memories of our westward trip.

Hoppers · 03-12-2013, 04:23 PM

Sorry to hear about your wife's health setback. Sounds like you enjoyed the Avanti and it performed very well for you. You mentioned she wants to sale. How much would you be asking?

Hoppers · 03-12-2013, 04:24 PM

Sorry to hear about your wife's health setback. Sounds like you enjoyed the Avanti and it performed very well for you. You mentioned she wants to sale. How much would you be asking?

Margina · 03-13-2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoppers

Sorry to hear about your wife's health setback. Sounds like you enjoyed the Avanti and it performed very well for you. You mentioned she wants to sale. How much would you be asking?

$105,000.

Andytran · 03-14-2013, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvoicemaker

Is your Avanti still available?

My 2011 Avanti 2806 is still available. It has only 1450 miles. It is on consignment with Flagg RV located on the border of RI and Mass. Their number is 888-352-4478. selling price is 89950. They would love to take a trade in. My retirement plans tanked and was unable to use this beautiful rig.- Andy

Margina · 03-14-2013, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andytran

My 2011 Avanti 2806 is still available. It has only 1450 miles. It is on consignment with Flagg RV located on the border of RI and Mass. Their number is 888-352-4478. selling price is 89950. They would love to take a trade in. My retirement plans tanked and was unable to use this beautiful rig.- Andy

Our 2012 Avanti 3106 has 12000 miles. Wife is in stage five kidney failure, on transplant lists. We live in Hattiesburg , Ms, about 100 miles north of New Orleans. Have decided to sell. Asking $105,000.

EduardoMaya · 03-20-2013, 07:07 AM

Hi all ! My wife and I are in search of a 2012 Avanti 3106. A little about us: We are 49 and 50 y.o., two grown kids and also 9 1/2 y.o. twin boys.
This model Rv ticks most of our boxes for our needs. Twelve years ago my DW had a severe back injury, four surgeries later her back is a mess.
Having an Rv will give us back some mobility to travel as she can not sit in a car for long periods of time without being laid up in bed for days after
the long drive. I am sure being able to get up at times or even lay down while enroute will help. We are in California but would travel out east to buy the right rig. DW has set our budget at 90 k. I was also wondering
does the 2011 28 ft. model have the same large pass thru storage as the 3106, as I need a spot to stow a small mobility scooter as well as our gear. Thanks in advance, Ed

Reid · 03-21-2013, 06:59 PM

Ref Eduardo's question: " I was also wondering
does the 2011 28 ft. model have the same large pass thru storage as the 3106, as I need a spot to stow a small mobility scooter as well as our gear"

No, it does not. And, the 28 foot model has very little storage underneath compared to the 3106.

You mention that you have two grown children and two 9 1/2 year old twins. I think that it will get a little crowded with 6 people. There is a bed that can be pulled down when the slide is open. The couch in the 3106 does lay down to form somewhat of a bed, but the couch is short, only 58 inches. And the wrap-around dinette seating does not turn into a bed. While the twins might sleep there for a short time, I don't think that it would be comfortable as they get taller.

The space in the large pass through is very large. Not sure how heavy the mobility scooter is... might be difficult to load if real heavy. You might consider getting a carry-all platform for the trailer hitch.

FYI: RV Trader has several Avanti 3106's for sale.

EduardoMaya · 04-05-2013, 06:08 AM

We looked at an Avanti for sale, does not seem right for us, so still looking.

mcruc · 04-10-2013, 02:36 PM

New guy here. We bought I believe one of last serial number 2806's last August in Iowa. The dealer there had bought the last 8 from Thor and was selling them for a very good price (< 100k) new.

Echoing what other's have said, my understanding from Thor and the dealer was that Freightliner increased the MC-L chassis cost by $10k which made this already niche-market unit unprofitable. Thor with the Damon acquisition likely has to concentrate on the higher volume units and the Avanti isn't one of them unfortunately.

We love it having only used it once. Like other's, we looked at what we thought was the only diesel smaller unit under 30' and were going to buy a Navion until we literally had an Avanti do a U-turn in front of us and we were Googling it literally 30-seconds later.

A few little nit house build issues that I simply fixed and a couple of minor things to correct under warranty like a leaky jack cylinder and a generator solenoid (I think) but nothing major and unexpected while you're getting the kinks out of it.

Coming off of a large truck camper that was too small and took way too long to set up, this unit is absolutely perfect.

I was surprised to see that the Avanti weighed around 15,500 I think so the payload wasn't the 5-6k I was envisioning but that's way better than the 700lbs on the sprinter Class A's or C's. Can't envision we'd ever go over the 18k GVWR.

Laker44 · 04-29-2013, 12:26 PM

I have one located, but it is located far from me, and looking to buy and priced under $85K with <40K miles. What do you think? Also, please answer with your experience as this will be my first motorhome. Single, age 70 male, ready to travel in the winter.

1. The 2806 uses a macerator sewer system. Any problems with it? I can't seem to find the capacity of the black water tanks. Anyone have that info?

2. Is there a large pass-thru storage on the 2806?

3. Do you find the FRED diesel to be noisy? Some reports of when the AC fan clutch cuts in, the noise is excessive.

4. I only live about 40 miles from Thor and have toured the plant seeing the A.C.E being built, so I have witnessed the lack of quality control. This used Avanti looks so much better then the A.C.E.

Please feel free to add any additional information or tell me where to look for other owner input.

Thanks for you help.

mcruc · 05-21-2013, 12:09 PM

Laker,
Thought I'd responded to this earlier - sorry.

I'd think that'd be a fairly ideal MH for a single person, it's good for up to 4.

1) The macerator is similar to what most boats use and we've had no issues (nor that much time) with it. It's easy to reach/replace from what I can tell and I'd guess it'd work for a while without it functioning (within reason) Depending on which Thor specs (2011, 2012) the black tank is listed as 40 and 36.5. I've seen 40 more often used.

2) There really isn't an under-chassis pass through to speak of. There are two compartments on either side and the space over the frame rails to the MH floor is about 8-10". I've got a couple of fold-up ladders in there. Same deal in the rear but they're much smaller compartments.

3) I don't think the noise is really much of an issue. The coach itself makes more noise than the engine going down the road. Yeah, when that fan clutch engages it's loud but unless you're driving in lots of heat I think I've only had that come on once, and only for a few minutes.
Certainly wakes you up which is good! At idle, I hear as much noise from the Cummins in the Avanti as I do in my GM Duramax pickup ('13)

4) I can't really speak to the quality but yeah, everything I've ever bought has some set of "issues" when it's new. I think I fixed 3-4 on the Avanti. My neighbor has a Prevost/Featherlite coach which has to be about the top-end of a class A and I think he had several pages of things that needed to be fixed/etc. A way more complex rig than the Avanti however.

I've been very impressed with the attention to detail on the unit. Damon really did this thing right. For example, I wanted all the bulbs LED in it and started figuring out which LED panels I needed. Come to find that Damon already had most of the interior lights LED and they were some pretty pricy components. For an "entry level" MH as the dealers will tell you the Avanti is, it's certainly not that as compared to other things I've seen.

There's just not that many of these around and it's too bad they're history. Too much of a niche market for the price I guess. I believe that our 2012 2806 was if not the last, one of the last units made. All remaining 8 went to a dealer in IA which is where we got ours from (for a price not too far north of what you're looking at..

Mark