2014 vs 2015 Thor Hurricane 34F

[bcreekmore]

All,
I'm new here, and this is my first post. I have been reading everything I can find on different class A motorhome manufacturers, models, etc. in preparation to purchase our first motorhome. The Thor Hurricane/Windsport is currently on the top of our list, and we are currently going back and forth between the 34J and the 34F. We are leaning at the moment towards the 34F because it has a U-Shaped dinette, or at least the 2014 model does and it has the washer/dryer prep. The 34J has no washer dryer prep, smaller sofa, smaller bathroom, and smaller dinette to make room for the bunkhouse.

My questions are the following, and I appreciate any feedback.

1.) I'm unsure if the 2015 Thor Hurricane 34F actually has a U-Shaped dinette. Thor's website specifically says in the floorplan key features of the 34F that it includes a U-Shaped dinette. The floorplan schematic does not reflect this. I see pictures of the 2014 model and clearly see the U-Shaped dinette, but pictures of the 2015 model look to be a standard dinette. Thor's website says u-shaped, and pictures show standard so there is some conflict there. Can anyone clarify this?

2.) Does anyone with a bunkhouse feel the extra space used for bunks is a waste? Like I mentioned we have 2 kids and one on the way, so we would have plenty of sleeping space without the bunks. The idea of not having to convert sofas and dinettes every night into beds is certainly appealing.

3.) Most entry level coaches it looks like to me don't have washer/dryer as an option. How important do you RV'ers feel it is to have washer/dryer? Certainly with small kids I can see the advantage to having it, but most campgrounds would have access to shared facilities.

[Scarab0088]

Best of luck on your search!

The washer/dryer is really a full-timer thing...how much time will you be spending on the road?

The 34F lost the U-shaped dinette for 2015. That is now in the 34E. The 2014 34F did have the U-dinette. You can confirm these details by checking the on-line sales ads (for sale and sold listings).

The bunks are a benefit for 2 reasons:
The bed is always made-up.
The kids have a private space to claim...sometimes worth the lost space elsewhere.

Safe travels

[bcreekmore]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Best of luck on your search!

The washer/dryer is really a full-timer thing...how much time will you be spending on the road?

The 34F lost the U-shaped dinette for 2015. That is now in the 34E. The 2014 34F did have the U-dinette. You can confirm these details by checking the on-line sales ads (for sale and sold listings).

The bunks are a benefit for 2 reasons:
The bed is always made-up.
The kids have a private space to claim...sometimes worth the lost space elsewhere.

Safe travels

Thanks for the reply Scarab. I was also able to confirm directly from Thor regarding the Dinette what you have also confirmed. The change actually seems like an improvement and should be good for us. Now just to figure out if we go with bunks, or go with W/D prep and larger sofa. Hopefully if I can see both in person it will help us make the decision. The problem is we live in Las Vegas, and I can't find any Hurricanes or Windsports in stock at any dealer in the area.

[bcreekmore]

Also, we plan to use the coach for many long weekends, and 2-3 full weeks during the year. We are relocating from Las Vegas to Virginia this December and will take the coach cross-country as well. Maybe that does not justify the washer/dryer but with 3 small kids I can't imagine my wife or I dragging them to a laundry room, then back and forth. The kids ages are 4,2, and infant.

[Giant Jeff]

We have a Windsport 34j and absolutely love the bunks. I have two older teen daughters who share the drop down bunk and two under 5 that use the bunks. We can send the little ones to bed and let them watch a movie while we play cards with the older girls. No tables to convert to beds is great. With a family of 6 I could not find a more perfect floor plan for us than the 34j.

[tanstaafl]

We had a 2014 Hurricane 34F and had nothing but problems with it. We had multiple problems with the full wall slide, leveling jacks, outside storage and kitchen doors not staying closed, along with a myriad of other smaller issues. If you do go with the full wall slide, make sure the RV is perfectly level - do not trust the Lippert system - we had to use a 4 foot carpenters level.

[bcreekmore]

Originally Posted by tanstaafl

We had a 2014 Hurricane 34F and had nothing but problems with it. We had multiple problems with the full wall slide, leveling jacks, outside storage and kitchen doors not staying closed, along with a myriad of other smaller issues. If you do go with the full wall slide, make sure the RV is perfectly level - do not trust the Lippert system - we had to use a 4 foot carpenters level.

Thanks for the feedback. Were you not able to get warranty service to correct these issues? It looks like you traded up for an Allegro.

[DeWat]

Just an opinion on the bunks. We traded out of our Winnie Vista 35B back in December. While we only took the grandchildren out once or twice a year, we absolutely loved the bunks. When the bunks weren't being used by the grandchildren, they were his and hers storage areas. We really didn't want to give up the bunk option, but our upgrade choices were either bunks or 1 & 1/2 bath. That still was not an easy choice, but if you saw how narrow the passageway into the bathroom was for a Phaeton 40QKH (bunkhouse) when the slides are closed, you would see why went bath & 1/2 instead. I have found many people who have love bunkhouses even when the bunks are for other than bed use, and I am one who agrees.

[tanstaafl]

Originally Posted by bcreekmore

Thanks for the feedback. Were you not able to get warranty service to correct these issues? It looks like you traded up for an Allegro.

It spent more time in the shop with warranty issues than in our driveway. It got to the point where we just didn't trust it anymore, and decided to trade it in while we could still get a decent amount on it.

[bcreekmore]

Originally Posted by DeWat

Just an opinion on the bunks. We traded out of our Winnie Vista 35B back in December. While we only took the grandchildren out once or twice a year, we absolutely loved the bunks. When the bunks weren't being used by the grandchildren, they were his and hers storage areas. We really didn't want to give up the bunk option, but our upgrade choices were either bunks or 1 & 1/2 bath. That still was not an easy choice, but if you saw how narrow the passageway into the bathroom was for a Phaeton 40QKH (bunkhouse) when the slides are closed, you would see why went bath & 1/2 instead. I have found many people who have love bunkhouses even when the bunks are for other than bed use, and I am one who agrees.

Thanks for the feedback DeWat! We are leaning towards the Hurricane/Windsport 34J, and I see everyone's point regarding the bunks. I would consider also the Mirada 34BH, or the Pursuit 33BHP, but it slipped out that the Hurricane has a King Bed, and I haven't been able to live that down yet when showing my wife other options. I mention quality to her regarding Thor, and she just says it has a warranty right? We will be traveling frequently to Elkhart, IN where my in-laws live, so maybe that is a good thing if I should expect many warranty repairs.

[cenfl]

Originally Posted by bcreekmore

We will be traveling frequently to Elkhart, IN where my in-laws live, so maybe that is a good thing if I should expect many warranty repairs.

This is definitely to your advantage as you will likely be needing the factory service center. This is our second year out with our Windsport and we're still working through problems. We have had issues with slides, leveling jacks, holding tank leaks, and a list of "fit and finish" defects too long to list here. Good luck!

[fedsales]

I echo many of the comments regarding Thor reliability; I have experienced many issues on the 2014 Hurricane 34E. If you take the plunge I would get the extended warranty. We have the washer/dryer and its handy but too small for bigger loads. Make sure you are convenient to the Service Center as you will be there a lot. Leveling jacks will be a problem for you especially leaks.Entry step collapsed. Just a bunch of annoying things all fixed or replaced under warranty. No slide issues yet.

On the bright side; A/C will freeze you out. Heater is awesome. MH tracks straight as a string and is fairly quiet. Great sound system. Who cares about the gas mileage when you spent so much for it?

Go enjoy it and have fun!!!

[DiBrunecke]

We also have a 2014 Windsport 34J! We are having some minor issues- that's what the warranty is for, but LOVE the floorplan, king bed is awesome! The bunks can easily convert into a couch to watch tv away from the driver! Good Luck!!