Community Forums

mycoolbeans · 05-19-2015, 10:27 PM

I would be interested in the evaluations of new Thor Axis or Vegas motorhome owners. What is your experience with these new motorhomes so far? How long have you owned this type of unit? What vehicle do you tow behind this motorhome? Do these units come with leveling jacks? Currently, exploring possibility of this type of unit. I am interested in the pros and cons that have surfaced to date. Is this the first year these motorhomes have been on the market?

axiscamper · 05-21-2015, 11:24 AM

We have a 2015 24.1 Axis and have been very happy with it. No levelers. We just use boards or blocks, which is a quick and easy process, so we'll stick with that. We don't tow yet because we have been able to park everywhere we want to, but we may in the future.

We haven't had major quality issues and haven't had to return to the dealer. The little things we found we were able to easily fix ourselves. We did have a tire alignment done. The technician said it pulled to the right a little, but we hadn't noticed it and didn't see a big difference afterwards. I think it is annoying that Thor sends them to the dealerships in need of alignment.

We've had good experiences when we needed to contact Thor with questions.

You might want to post your question over at the Thor Owners Forum. There are quite a few Axis/Vegas owners there, and they are good about giving support to other owners.

miki · 05-22-2015, 10:55 PM

We owned our 2014 Axis for less than a year. We really liked it but it couldn't tow our Buick Enclave safely, it was too heavy at 4,800 lbs. The tail was definitely wagging the dog.

It was very easy to level and very easy to drive without a toad. It was big enough for us and our son. Lots of storage under the drivers side bed. Gas milage was around 10 MPG. Was pretty noisy, but hey its a front engine gasser. Chassis battery is not maintenance free and seems practically impossible to replace. Rear twin beds were very comfy, front over cab one not so much.

We owned the Axis months before the Buick. We decided to trade up for Newmar DP with a 10,000 lb hitch since we weren't willing to tow a smaller car. If it weren't for the towing problem we would have kept it.

There were many initial quality issues with the Thor Axis. We had it professionally inspected at delivery and five of the windows weren't installed properly and water was starting to leak into the sidewalls.

Both sinks leaked, toilet leaked, gasket of front window falling out, awning motor unsealed and needed replacement due to water intrusion , bathroom door laminated improperly, rubber in step well installed improperly, one day it ripped off and I hurt my ankle. Defective valve stems on rear tires, melted mudflap, inside plastic pillar trim by front window loose and rattling. Lots of loose and missing screws.

Most people would have said don't take it, but we already paid for it in advance since it was an internet order. Dealer implied it was ours now and had to make claims for warranty repairs. Not a nice way to do business but I wasn't surprised.

We loved the design and handling (until we added the toad).

Everything was repaired under warranty and then we traded it in. Test drove a 2009 Dynamax, a new Jayco Seneca, and a Newmar. Wanted the Dynamax Dynastar but again, inspector found water damage and lots of it.

Ended up buying a year old Newmar DP and guess what? The "bugs" worked out by the original owner equaled $18,000 in warranty work. Am I worried? Nope! I'm glad someone else did the bug work for us.

We had the Newmar inspected and the inspector was very impressed. The only thing he didn't like were the roof screws. There are lots of them running down each side of the roof and they were all rusted. He said to replace with SS screws dipped in silicone. He also noticed the hitch was labeled at 5,000 lbs, should have been labeled at 10,000. Dealer confirmed with frieghtliner and corrected it.

The inspections we had were not cheap but worth their weight in gold.

Good luck with your decision!

caveflyer · 06-20-2015, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miki

There were many initial quality issues with the Thor Axis. We had it professionally inspected at delivery and five of the windows weren't installed properly and water was starting to leak into the sidewalls.

I am thinking of buying an Axis, but am a total noob when it comes to RVs. How do I find someone that will independently and professionally inspect an RV that I'm considering buying?

Thanks!

-- Robert

sikorge · 07-08-2015, 02:27 PM

We took our AXIS 24.1 home on June 1, 2015. I needed to put more caulking around the Shower surround edges, the bathroom cabinet next to the shower, at the floor and under the cabinet top to keep moisture out of the structure of the framing. Went thru an 8oz tube of caulking in the bathroom alone. I added more caulking around the kitchen sink and at the countertop to wall seam since there was not enough there to start with. We have not had the problems with our 2016 that other people have noted with their 2014 and 2015 models. We have not had any leaks in the water system, supply or drains. The alignment was the biggest issue to solve. The dealer took the MH to Ford three times to get it corrected but did not get it "aligned" properly, said it was "within spec". We took the MH to an independant Truck & Motorhomej Alignment shop where the caster bushings were replaced with adjustable bushings and 2+ degrees were added to both sides and the steering is much more acceptable now, even without a stronger steering stabilizer and bigger torsion bars that I am going to address next spring. All in all we are extremely happy with our AXIS.

dcdavisnc · 07-22-2015, 05:42 PM

Avoid Thor. They do not stand behind products. Had Vegas for 10 months and leaking around windows. Thorn states it is owners responsibility to check caulking around windows. Screws falling out of trim around doors. Problem with windshield wipers. Camper has been at Camping world for half of time owned for repairs.

Scarab0088 · 07-22-2015, 06:27 PM

There's a similar thread here:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f121/inqu...or-248482.html

TyCreek · 07-22-2015, 06:55 PM

We've quite enjoyed our Thor Axis so far... pulling a Wrangler and a rear track bar solved the previously mentioned tail wag.

Fun little RV

Ready · 09-07-2015, 03:54 PM

I have a 2015 Axis, got it Oct 2014. First MH so I have no experience to compare, I haven't towed. Thinking about a mopad on carrier on back. It drives really nice. The chair seems to tip forward alittle. I don't like the bi-fold bathroom door like I thought I would. The dealer I bought it from is about 45 mi. from my house and I felt they were a bit dismissive. But they have another dealership closer to my house (smaller) that has been great. I've had it in for several things. It is there now, the bumper has to be replaced, because rust bubbles under the paint as big as half dollars was on it.I feel comfortable with the systems (hook up and tanks and that). After the bumper is replaced it is time for first oil change servicing. Any suggestions on what to have checked out other than what book saids.? Thanks Ready

Oncdoc · 12-01-2015, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miki

We owned our 2014 Axis for less than a year. We really liked it but it couldn't tow our Buick Enclave safely, it was too heavy at 4,800 lbs. The tail was definitely wagging the dog.

It was very easy to level and very easy to drive without a toad. It was big enough for us and our son. Lots of storage under the drivers side bed. Gas milage was around 10 MPG. Was pretty noisy, but hey its a front engine gasser. Chassis battery is not maintenance free and seems practically impossible to replace. Rear twin beds were very comfy, front over cab one not so much.

We owned the Axis months before the Buick. We decided to trade up for Newmar DP with a 10,000 lb hitch since we weren't willing to tow a smaller car. If it weren't for the towing problem we would have kept it.

There were many initial quality issues with the Thor Axis. We had it professionally inspected at delivery and five of the windows weren't installed properly and water was starting to leak into the sidewalls.

Both sinks leaked, toilet leaked, gasket of front window falling out, awning motor unsealed and needed replacement due to water intrusion , bathroom door laminated improperly, rubber in step well installed improperly, one day it ripped off and I hurt my ankle. Defective valve stems on rear tires, melted mudflap, inside plastic pillar trim by front window loose and rattling. Lots of loose and missing screws.

Most people would have said don't take it, but we already paid for it in advance since it was an internet order. Dealer implied it was ours now and had to make claims for warranty repairs. Not a nice way to do business but I wasn't surprised.

We loved the design and handling (until we added the toad).

Everything was repaired under warranty and then we traded it in. Test drove a 2009 Dynamax, a new Jayco Seneca, and a Newmar. Wanted the Dynamax Dynastar but again, inspector found water damage and lots of it.

Ended up buying a year old Newmar DP and guess what? The "bugs" worked out by the original owner equaled $18,000 in warranty work. Am I worried? Nope! I'm glad someone else did the bug work for us.

We had the Newmar inspected and the inspector was very impressed. The only thing he didn't like were the roof screws. There are lots of them running down each side of the roof and they were all rusted. He said to replace with SS screws dipped in silicone. He also noticed the hitch was labeled at 5,000 lbs, should have been labeled at 10,000. Dealer confirmed with frieghtliner and corrected it.

The inspections we had were not cheap but worth their weight in gold.

Good luck with your decision!

How did you locate a reputable inspector to accompany you to the dealership? I live in Texas and I am considering purchasing an axis from total value RV in Elkhart,IN. Thanks!

miki · 12-02-2015, 10:21 PM

I located the inspector online. I just kept looking until I found him. He is also a Marine inspector.

JerryP · 02-22-2016, 11:03 PM

I got one of the first Axis's that Thor produced. It was the worst motorhome that I have ever owned. We dumped it for a loss after 6 months. Hopefully the later model ones have better quality. The design ideas are OK, but the implementation was terrible. Thor honored the warranty, but the problems went on & on.

Other good RV manufacturers are Pleasure-Way, Coach House and Newmar.

I realize that this is a late response, but maybe other RV buyers might be interested.

Good Luck.

Jerry 2013 Newmar Bay Star

VinceAndPam · 04-13-2016, 04:12 PM

Do you have the part number and manufacturer of the track bar you installed on your Axis? Also is your Axis built on the E450 chassis? I tow a 2012 PT Cruiser and even at 2900 lbs, it wags our 2016 Axis 25.3 quite a bit.

Thanks!

Vince

Quote:

Originally Posted by TyCreek

We've quite enjoyed our Thor Axis so far... pulling a Wrangler and a rear track bar solved the previously mentioned tail wag.

Fun little RV

TyCreek · 04-13-2016, 07:04 PM

Hi Vince, I have the E-350 chassis and SuperSteer is the place I got the bar. Look under Class C RVs ... the E-450 bar is linked here: Ford E 450 Class C Motorhome

There were other panhard bar options ... SuperSteer just happens to be the one I picked last year. Sure made a huge difference with my 4200lb toad! My only other recommendation is making sure your alignment caster is mid 5 degrees or higher. I stopped looking at handling mods after just those 2 simple basic fixes.