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Old 06-06-2022, 11:56 AM   #1
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Thor Motorhome Opinions

What is your opinion on this manufacturer? I have heard more bad reviews then positive. I am looking to purchase a new or slightly used class A. There are a lot of Thor dealers here in Iowa near me.
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Old 06-06-2022, 01:12 PM   #2
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Thor like others today has build quality problems: untrained people and hurried, sloppy workmanship. Probably a bit worse than average, but that is just an opinion.

But design is first rare, although quality of materials is so so. I am a 2021 Axis owner.

David
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Old 06-06-2022, 01:28 PM   #3
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I have a '21 Thor Omni, built on the Ford F 550 chassis. Although we had our share of little things go awry in the first year, it has been pretty trouble free the last few months.

I think Thor Industries controls something like 70% of the RV market, so I would expect about 70% of the complaints to be about Thor products!
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Old 06-06-2022, 01:34 PM   #4
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Thor bought out Jayco a few years back; Jayco's quality has gone down the tubes shortly after.
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Old 06-06-2022, 03:13 PM   #5
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Having looked at various Thor products,I was always disappointed in both materials used and quality of workmanship on their product line. The exception being the Entegra motorhomes, but these, obviously, are at a much higher price point.
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Old 06-06-2022, 03:30 PM   #6
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I would look at other manufacturers for you to make a decision that satisfies you expectation.
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Old 06-06-2022, 04:56 PM   #7
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As usual, it depends

We bought our Thor Windsport 35M in February. It is our first Class A.

We thought about getting a used Tiffen or Newmar in 3-5 years, but after looking at the models and talking to the various sales people, we decided to get what we did so we can enjoy the RV life now, not in 3-5 years.

We remember the inflation of the late 70’s-early 80’s and the Tiffen or Newmar will probably have increased nearly as much as we paid.

Are Thor units top quality? No, but I’d rather take an economy trip to the Galapagos & Machu Picchu than stay home and watch the world’s best documentaries on them. Likewise with the RV life: I’m working as a nomad for 6 weeks in August-October and driving from Florida to Washington state and back.

We recently completed a 15 day trip to North Carolina and back, traveling through Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama on the way to and from—which we would otherwise have not done.

All the issues we’ve had with our unit have been minor. None would stop us from using the unit. I did add several thousand dollars in safety, handling, & comfort equipment (Tyron bands; Safe-T-Plus; sway bars; Trac Bar; and Koni shocks) plus a 3-stage water filter and water softener—which combination none of the high-end models I’ve seen have. A one stage filter, yes.

When I expressed some minor disappointment with the Thor unit to my mobile RV tech, he replied to the effect, “Yes, Thor seems to have some issues but they have made RVing affordable for many people.” I was humbled and embarrassed because he’s right.

Our unit is built on the Ford F-53 chassis, the same chassis used by Newmar for their Bay Star model. Thor is using a good foundation for this model (35M). The unit has an Onan generator, same as you’ll find on higher-end models. Our coach is a gasser, not a diesel pusher, so the generator uses gas as fuel unlike the diesel-powered generator you’ll typically find in a diesel coach.

My point is that by using the same chassis and components as other, more expensive, coaches, Thor has to lower costs in other areas. The finish isn’t as quality as a Newmar or Tiffen—heated floors we’re not an option for us.

If you want to buy a used unit, make sure the unit was used and serviced regularly. The worst thing for an engine or generator (another engine) is to not use them.
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Old 06-06-2022, 07:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Harris View Post
What is your opinion on this manufacturer? I have heard more bad reviews then positive. I am looking to purchase a new or slightly used class A.............
What Thor product are you looking to purchase? We have a 2022 Entegra Vision and Entegra is owned by Thor https://www.rvandplaya.com/who-owns-...facts-to-know/. Quality is excellent.
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Old 06-06-2022, 08:19 PM   #9
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I purchased a used 2013 Thor Palazzo. It is a entry level Diesel pusher. It had everything we wanted. It had under 9K miles on it. I had it fully serviced after purchase. This was three and a half years ago. I put new tires (Toyo) and batteries in it, both house and starter, along with 5kw of solar on it. Then took a trip. After one white knuckle trip with 40 mph plus gust, I modified the suspension and added a larger rear anti sway bar, and Koni shocks, air bag isolator kit, and Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer, and a front end alignment. After that it has been wonderful. This last trip involved an new front AC, microwave oven, and I added front screens to the windshield and driver/passenger side windows which reduced heat from UV rays. It made a big difference. Funny how appliances go out, but was not surprised by it. Purchasing used I allowed for a few things to die. I did service my rear AC with coil cleaner when I got home. I will have to update/refurbished the dinette and a chair do to the bad fake leather. It is well known problem from the time that involved almost all manufactures interiors for several years. Don't be afraid of a used motor home. Just need to be educated on what to expect. I knew that 2013 was one of the bad fake leather years and AC's last ten or so years. The appliances most manufactures use are purchase in bulk at the lowest cost possible. So when they go out I purchase better replacements and do the work myself. You can opt for a high quality coach like County Coach and others. Just look for the service records. With out them I would run not walk away.
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Old 06-07-2022, 08:28 AM   #10
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We have been happy with our Challenger. It is Thor's top of the line gasser and they build it as a top of the line. Thor has very creative floorplans that are hard to find in others. They are also price competitive. I would guess that their top of the line diesel is similar quality, but as to the other models I don't know.
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Old 06-07-2022, 01:59 PM   #11
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We bought a 2015 Thor Hurricane 28K (29' - V10 gas) in 2019. It had only about 5,000 miles and was in essentially new shape.

We sold it last year and recently purchased a 2003 DP.

We were pretty happy with the Thor. I did add a Safe-T-steering stabilizer (helped) and did a 5 Star engine tune (didn't feel much difference). Had a problem with the cable driven overhead bunk (repaired under an extended warranty). Normal wear and tear items (replaced over door awning, new front tires, serviced dash a/c).

Overall a nice mid-quality unit.

Jim
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Old 06-13-2022, 02:02 AM   #12
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We bought a 2018 Thor Aria 3401 (DP) in October of last year. It is our first MH after 30+ years in fifth wheels. We had been looking at the Tiffin, which I felt had better quality (although now owned by Thor) but the Aria floorplan was the best we found in the shorter units. Our coach only had 8,000 miles on it when we got it so it is obvious it had not been used much. We came back for an 18 day trip to Kentucky with a full page punch list to fix/improve but other than a lingering AC problem we are very happy with the coach.

I think the post-pandemic coaches are a problem for quality but hopefully that issue will improve. I would be leery of buying anything used built in late 2020 through early 2022.
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Old 06-13-2022, 05:43 AM   #13
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If you are looking at the lower price point units, the Son of Odin is in the same area of workmanship as the price. We owned a 2015 Siesta, on a Sprinter Chassis. It would be wrong to claim that Workmanship, there is no quality in the vast majority of lower level price point RV's, as a "today" issue. Unless "today" includes units going back to around the 1st few years of the 21st Century.

The Siesta was our 3rd RV and a major disappointment in Workmanship with wrong screws installed, by the factory's own admission. And a complete mess of construction debris in areas, not necessarily just hidden areas. If you can't even take the time to clean the product you just finished building, then you have no pride in the work you have performed.

Prior to about 2007 our Jayco 5th wheel was not a high end unit, but the workmanship was very good. Nothing came apart on it's own and it functioned without incident. Same for our new 1994 Fleetwood Class C that we started our RV experience in. Yes, today the RV's are more complicated, but that's a excuse not a reason.

Unfortunately, it seems that today, your expectations need to be even less critical and you need to be a DIY'er to own a RV. We currently own a Tiffin Class A, and that has been no exception to the current build quality issues.
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Old 06-13-2022, 06:17 AM   #14
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There is a wide spread between products in Thor's lines. You can't seriously expect an Axis to be on par with a Miramar. While Tiffin & Entegra are under the Thor Industries banner, the are not part of Thor Motorcoach and are built in separate factories with separate management teams.
There are no problem free motorhomes being built. They all have issues that need to be resolved after you take possession. They are all assembled from parts provided by a limited number of vendors and for the most part the trouble is with components, not the coach itself.
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