Should I buy a 2013 Thor Hurricane 32a???

[bill_m3]

My wife and I have been shopping for our first RV. We were looking for something under 35 feet that our 13 year old twins would be comfortable in and that we could invite other family members. We saw Thor Hurricane 32a and the 4 of us immediately fell in love with the floor plan and style. It sleeps 8 with the electric slide bunk up front and the seating seemed just right for entertaining and we also loved the decor. We found a dealer selling these things brand new for $85k which is almost 35% off retail.

My question is am I making a mistake? I read various posts talking about QC issues and having their Thor motorhomes in constant repair. For the price, I can't find anything else that even comes close to what this model offers.

[jrd48]

Hurricanes are considered entry level coaches. That being said I've had mine since 2005 and other than the clearcoat peeling I haven't had any major problems. As far as QC issues go people only post on here when they have problems. No coach is trouble free and you can expect to have some fit and finish issues. Just give it a very thorough PDI before you accept delivery.

[bill_m3]

Thanks Jim! Really good points.

[OC Bill]

We bought a 2012 32A last year and traded up to a 2013 Palazzo after about 6 months.

The reason for trading had nothing to do with the quality of Thor products as the Palazzo is also made by Thor.

We decided that our future plans would be better served with a DP when I retire later this year and we hit the road for long trips and 6+ months on the road.

The DP offers more space, quieter ride, better handling and twice the fuel mileage that we were getting on the Hurricane.

I think you will be happy with the Hurricane.

Bill

[bill_m3]

Thanks Bill. A little more on how we'll be using. I'm in my 40's and we will most likely do short 2-3 days trips with a few week long trips throughout the year. Do you all feel I'll be wanting to upgrade after a few years given my usage or do you think we'll be happy for awhile?

[puttin]

bill m3,

I don't own a Hurricane but I thought I really liked the bunk bed model they had about 4 or 5 years ago (I don't recall the exact model # but it was between 32 and 34'). I then had a chance to look at four of them that a dealer had ordered in Nevada. Each one had issues...toilet paper holder not installed and laying in a cabinet, interior doors that wouldn't stay closed, a shower door magnetic strip that fell off when I opened the door, exterior baggage doors that wouldn't latch. I didn't bother to test drive them and moved on. You will also see posters here that have had positive experiences with their rigs as well and have no problems letting others know- so even though you'll see complaints, you'll see compliments too.

You'll see from my signature that we decided on a Winnebago and we have never regretted it. We spent years looking and compared probably twenty or so models when we got serious...Monaco and Tiffin among them.

You mentioned that the flooplan and decor were great...that's a huge plus when you make your decision, and I'll tell you that the Hurricane really looked good to us as well in those respects- I just was not happy thinking of what might be alot of hidden issues down the road. You might be ready to plunk down alot of cash and have a big loan soon...make sure you weigh all the factors you can before you do so...happy camping and happy shopping!!

[mfolland]

We don't have the Hurricane, but we've had our 2013 THOR ACE 29.2 for a few months now. To date we have had NO issues.

Much like the Hurricane you're researching, the ACE line comes with the drop down bed over the drivers area. However, you may want to double check with weight limit of the drop down bed. On the ACE, it is only rated at 250lbs. Hardly enough for two adults. You may also want to measure the length of the jack-knife couch/bed and the length of the dinette. On the ACE, both the couch and dinette are only 5' long. Again, hardly enough for a full size adult. Even though the ACE could theoretically sleep 8, in reality, it's 2 adults, and 6 kids. Double check the length and weight limits before you make your decision.

I'm sure you'll be happy with the Hurricane. I've had friends that have Hurricanes and none of them have had any major complaints. As jrd48 mentioned - be sure you do a very thorough PDI before taking delivery. Don't let the dealer tell you that they'll take care of it after delivery.

[tanstaafl]

My wife and I have been looking at the new Huricane 34F, and we are in the same position as you. We were also concerned with some of the horror stories we've read. We can get the new Hurricane 34F fully optioned out for around 95k including the drop down bunk and exterior entertainment system and exterior kitchen. The cost can even be lowered if the full body paint isn't selected (around 89k if the HD Max finish is chosen). Another plus is that it has a standard king size bed, and the full wall slide looks like it makes for a very spacious interior. I would love to see it in person, but none of the local dealers have it in stock.

[tuffr2]

Since Ford has improved all their chassis over the years a new Hurricane should be an ok entry level unit. Do you know what chassis it is built on? Ford 16,000lb - 18,000lb - 20, 500lb

Seems to me Georgerown has models in that same price range. I think Georgetown is a step above Hurricane.

It would be cool to get maybe a 2 year old MH built on the 22, 000lb chassis with the 22.5" wheels. That would be my goal.

[tanstaafl]

34E and 34F models are on the 22,000 lb chassis - the rest are on the 18,000. All of them come with 19.5" tires - no option available for the larger ones.

[QUOTE=tuffr2;1434670]Since Ford has improved all their chassis over the years a new Hurricane should be an ok entry level unit. Do you know what chassis it is built on? Ford 16,000lb - 18,000lb - 20, 500lb
QUOTE]

[bdpreece]

The last time I called a coach "entry level" I got chastised severely so, lets just say you are looking at the lower end of the price scale. There is nothing wrong with that. These coaches all use mostly all the same basic components ie chassis, water heaters, stoves, refrigerators, etc. The basic differences will be in quality of the fabrics, woodwork,floor coverings etc. Even the most expensive coaches will have problems, your biggest worry is finding a dealer you can trust who will stand behind the coach and do a good job on the warranty repairs. Research the dealer as much or more than the coach itself. When you hear stories about coach problems with Thor remember, they are the largest RV manufacturer in the market today. They sell more so naturally their name comes up a lot.

If you like the layout and can afford the coach I say go for it.

[DeWat]

We bought our very first MH in May 2012, a brand new 2012 Hurricane 32A. While I have driven many top of the line MHs for years, I have never owned. My wife and I absolutely love our 32A! However, we bought it to see if motorhoming was for us as a family, and if so, we would "eventually" trade up. Our Hurricane did have about 3 minor QC issues which our dealer happily repaired. We are now trading up, and will be settling this Monday for our new Winnie Vista 35B (the numbers just work out to a deal we couldn't refuse). We believe that the Vista 35B is a better long term buy than the 32A, but we were also set that if the Vista deal did not work out, we would be HAPPY in our 32A. The 32A is a "basic" MH when it comes to class A features, but it is still equally lovable once you are there and set up. If you end up buying the 32A and your experience goes as ours did, I am confident that you will be very satisfied.

[Havic]

We just bought a 2013 Thor Hurricane 33g (with Bunk Beds) we love this coach as we are first time owners. We have been rentng coaches for teh past 18 months anbd relized we were throwing our money away. We have been out 3 times in it and had no issues so far. it drives great and is comfortable. the only thing we have done is add a house battery and 3000W inverter. I have just purchased a Wingard In Motion Mission Satelite and will "attempt" to install that. Any assitance or guidance assistance would be appriciated.
Happy Campping!

[Redridge]

hmmmm, Hurricane doesnt have an inverter standard, thats surprising. It should be an optional equipment.