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DBT2 · 06-22-2021, 05:48 AM

Hi all, we are looking at a 2012 Thor ace 29.1 coach today. It has 39,000 miles on it. We currently have a 5th wheel but are now wanting a motorhome. Please tell me your experiences with this coach, good or bad. We are newbies to motorhomes. It's just me, my hubby and dog. I've read reviews and some are good but quite a few with issues. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Rockwood27 · 06-22-2021, 06:41 AM

I can't help you much on the Ace part, but check the tire date codes. At only 39K miles, they could be original and are long overdue for replacement at 9-10 years old. Factor in the replacement cost of 6 new tires if they are original or more than 5 years old.

Also run the generator for its performance under load (the air conditioneris a good load). The "rules" suggest that it be exercised monthly for an hour or so. At 9 years old, it should have 108 hours on it, just from the exercise. If not, the carburetor can get gummed and require rebuild or replacement.

GCSuper · 06-22-2021, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DBT2

Hi all, we are looking at a 2012 Thor ace 29.1 coach today. It has 39,000 miles on it. We currently have a 5th wheel but are now wanting a motorhome. Please tell me your experiences with this coach, good or bad. We are newbies to motorhomes. It's just me, my hubby and dog. I've read reviews and some are good but quite a few with issues. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Just so you know, that's Thor's entry level motorhome. It's also on a very short chassis, and most likely will nor ride or handle very good. If you go this route, test drive it first.

99dart · 06-22-2021, 06:22 PM

Yes, test drive it. Hopefully getting blasted by a couple semi's on a 2 lane highway. Ask if it has any steering/suspension modifications. I.E. steering stabilizer, anti-sway bars, "Sumo springs". Those all help make the driving experience much more pleasant. Hopefully at 9 yrs old & 39,000 miles it has all the bugs worked out of it. Is the upholstery in good condition? Our 2016 nicked easily. And, many newer units had the vinyl start peeling/shedding like a snake. Personally, I would pass on anything Thor. BUT, my DW & I had a bad experience with our Thor. This one may be nicely dialed in!

RBC2017 · 06-22-2021, 07:42 PM

I purchased ACE30.3 new in 2017. Now have 28000 miles on it. It is a entry level class A motor home. And the price point should reflect that. For reference I paid $88k new in 2017. I have had very few issues with this coach in 4 years. Maybe I just got lucky. However I think if you keep up with regular maintenance and take care of any RV you will have fewer problems.I did make some upgrades within 1st year of ownership to suit my needs ,solar, larger battery bank,cheep handling fix, steering stabilizer, 5star tuner , and Bilstien shocks. Drives and handles well in the wind. I would purchase this coach again. I do keep in indoor storage when not in use. This makes a huge difference with the exterior appearance.

be-happy · 06-23-2021, 03:53 AM

We traded from our 35' 5th wheel to a 2017 29.1 ACE back in 2017. We thought we wanted to downsize and get into a MH. To make a long story short we down sized to much. We lost so much room, for use it made it hard to travel much more than a week or so. So we had to trade the ACE for a larger MH.

The ACE as stated is a Thor entry level unit. Keep in mind that all the appliances, water heater, piping values etc are all the same no matter what unit you get. I found the ACE workman ship really bad as far as attaching paneling. I had to re glue many panels. They put a panel under the sink that blocked one of the water heater bypass values. The King ant. was right next to the ac so ota recepition was not to good. My fault but this ACE only had one ac bad mistake make sure you get 2 ac's

Would I buy another one! I really am not sure