2012 Thor ACE 29.2

Wow, Degored, sorry to hear about all the problems.  Makes our bedroom door problem seem very trivial!

Wow this sucks degored , you didnt say but did your dealer do a pdi before you took delivery?  So far we really only have the silly door issue.  I suspected that most all issues we would get directed to the other manufacturers of the items.  I think overall rvs in general are built substandardly, so my expectations were very low... Still a lot of moolah though.  The macerator issue you have would have gotten a pretty hot phone call from me.... Not that it would helped any.  Things can only get better hang in there. 

Sounds like your dealer sucks, and Thor is a finger pointer.  I'm sure you are now too Of the middle variety.

Got a hold of Thor yesterday.  There is a guy whom I have been speaking with quite a bit, so I just ask for him now when I call, saves a lot of back and forth.  Told him about the overheating issue on the generator, and the solution that several of us with this issue had come up with.  The guy at Thor had never heard of the issue, but agreed to go talk with Engineering as I requested.

The guy at Thor called me back a few hours later.  He tells me that Thor's engineer department had heard of the issue, and had come up with a solution.  The solution is pretty much exactly what myself and some others had come up with.  They are going to send me a new bay door with a louver, a heat shield to go around the generator bay, and some other misc parts that did not make sense to me, but I am sure will once I have the parts in my hands.

Unfortunately, the parts will not be available for my current trip, so I am still stuck with no power while driving for the remainder (15 days) of my trip.  Thor said they would send the parts to the dealer of my choice, I am going to have them sent directly to me to do the repairs myself.  The closest dealer is over an hour drive each way, can't imagine it will take me more than a couple of hours to do the work myself, and I trust my workmanship way more than any dealer I have seen so far.

I HIGHLY recommend that everyone who owns a ACE call up Thor and request your generator heat shield fix.  Just because you don't think you need it, does not mean you wont need it in the future.  Also, the more who call up and request this, the faster this issue will get pushed to the top of the list and integrated in the new models so that others who buy don't get stuck with this issue in the future.

Yes Jan, my coach is a 2013.

Some other issues that I have, that I forgot to put down yesterday.

Plug above the kitchen sink does not work.  Have tired everything, will have to tear it apart when I get home.

Speakers, this is a huge issue, that I can't imagine who came up with this layout.  There is no speakers in the front of this coach.  The closest one is over the sofa behind the front passenger seat.  So when you are driving down the road, since our coaches are so loud with the engine/transmission, you can't hear the stereo up front.  In order to hear the stereo, you have to turn the volume way up, problem is, those in the back have to cover their ears because its so loud.  Did anyone from Thor actually take this rig out for a drive?  There is plenty of room up from for a couple of speakers, I am going to add 2-4" speakers when I get home.

I know there are a few more issues, but my mind is drawing a blank right now.

DegoRed said:

Speakers, this is a huge issue, that I can't imagine who came up with this layout.  There is no speakers in the front of this coach.  The closest one is over the sofa behind the front passenger seat.  So when you are driving down the road, since our coaches are so loud with the engine/transmission, you can't hear the stereo up front.  In order to hear the stereo, you have to turn the volume way up, problem is, those in the back have to cover their ears because its so loud.  Did anyone from Thor actually take this rig out for a drive?  There is plenty of room up from for a couple of speakers, I am going to add 2-4" speakers when I get home.

I know there are a few more issues, but my mind is drawing a blank right now.

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There is an option for you to turn the back speakers off so that sound is only coming out of the front speakers.  This is what we do since we don't have anyone in the coach but us.  Its stinks that there aren't speakers up front but we find the ones right behind the seats to be suitable.

looks like you have lot of bad luck Dego Red.
I personally have no issue with speakers, set abobe my head works fine for me.
I think that your bigest problem is the timing. You purchased your RV just before your big holiday and there is no time to fix all this things like powerpoint not working under warranty.

Since I am traveling in my rv for 3 months a year, and picked up my RV in Chicago Camping world, I pick on all small things which was not working properly and book ahead in Salt Lake City Campinworld for repair under the warranty.
This was easy, I just ring my dealer in Chicago and they did the booking for me.
In Camping world SLC they have full RV camping connections for visitors who are staying over night. I stayed 2 nights and all was fixed for me to my satisfactory including readjusting the slide.
I personally think that I could not ask for more.

I am Australian and we don't have such a good customer service in our country. Maybe I am not right person to have opinion here. You use to different standart here in USA.

I am thinking maybe I should order this overheating kit for my generator. So far good for me, but I am in mild weather part of usa. All this can change in hot parts like Arizona. D o they sending you the kit for free under the guarantee?

Thanks for sharing all this problems with us.

Yes, absolutely, the generator heat shield is free.  I think the part that Thor could not argue was the Hot Air Recirculation Test called for in the Onan Installation Manual. It calls for a temperature difference between the ambient air (measured 4 feet from the Genset) and the temp at the air inlet grill of no more than 15 degrees F. It says you have to run the Genset at full load for at least an hour and then take readings every 15 minutes until the temperature has stabilized for at least 3 consecutive readings.  I don't think Thor did this test.

Jan, I hear you on the Warranty expectation part, however, there is no excuses for a brand new anything to not work day 1.  The idea that it is expected to have problems is unacceptable.  The idea that because we are buying a $80K rig in lieu of a $250K rig that should somehow excuses poor quality control is not right.

Either way, we still think the MH is a good buy, and are happy with it.  Once we get all the kinks worked out, it will be all good.

I plan on calling Thor to request this kit even though i'm not experiencing this issue.  I just have to wonder how this isn't a more wide spread issue.  Is the mounting location different for the gen on the 29.2 from the 29.1?  I would just think there would be far more folks experiencing this issue and it wouldn't take this long for this issue to surface and Thor react.  It seems as though its not affecting everyone, but you would think this design issue would have surfaced in the first year the model was out as it was plenty hot this time last year. 

Thanks for all the info DegoRed I've found it very helpful.

As for the speakers pretty much if i'm listening to the radio, then everyone has to listen due to no cab speakers, I think i'll install a couple as well upfront.  I did run a new cable from the main TV to the radio to be able to use the house speakers for the TV.  If the A/C is running you can't hear the TV at all.  Maybe one day i'll run a permanent cable but this is what i'm using now whenever the A/C is running i just drag it out and plug it in, and i store it behind the tv($7 plus shipping isn't bad).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021815&p_id=5601&seq=1&format=2

Lesh said:

There is an option for you to turn the back speakers off so that sound is only coming out of the front speakers.  This is what we do since we don't have anyone in the coach but us.  Its stinks that there aren't speakers up front but we find the ones right behind the seats to be suitable.

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Please tell me how you turn off the back speakers?  I have looked in all the manuals and couldn't find anything.

When I did the initial test drive I noticed the A/C wasn't working either. They promised to have it fixed before I picked it up. During our PDI the service tech told me he just took it over to Ford the day before and they fixed it quick.  Sounds like something future owners might want to check for before they buy.

Have taken our 29.2 on 2 trips thus far and love it. Have 2 adults, 4 kids ages 5-16, and 2 dogs. Never feel cramped. Kids haven't complained about sleeping space.

Haven't had any real problems. Will admit we're taking baby steps since this is our first RV. Still haven't turned the fridge on and the last trip finally tried the hot water heater. Hot shower while dry camping makes the money well spent

The ONLY thing we're not fond of this far is driving it. We live in Montana and the winds get very high. We feel like we're going to blow off the road the entire drive.

Chrizee said:

Please tell me how you turn off the back speakers?  I have looked in all the manuals and couldn't find anything.

When I did the initial test drive I noticed the A/C wasn't working either. They promised to have it fixed before I picked it up. During our PDI the service tech told me he just took it over to Ford the day before and they fixed it quick.  Sounds like something future owners might want to check for before they buy.

Have taken our 29.2 on 2 trips thus far and love it. Have 2 adults, 4 kids ages 5-16, and 2 dogs. Never feel cramped. Kids haven't complained about sleeping space.

Haven't had any real problems. Will admit we're taking baby steps since this is our first RV. Still haven't turned the fridge on and the last trip finally tried the hot water heater. Hot shower while dry camping makes the money well spent

The ONLY thing we're not fond of this far is driving it. We live in Montana and the winds get very high. We feel like we're going to blow off the road the entire drive.

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I can't tell you for sure about the speakers until we take a trip this weekend (it's in storage) but my husband believes that under speaker settings there was a fade to the front option that turned them off in the back.  See if that works.  If not, I will have you let you know this weekend.

How have you gone on 2 trips and not used the fridge???  What are you doing with your food?  What are you worried about with using the fridge?  You might as well use everyone now so you know where the glitches are.  On our first trip we had quite a few things go wrong that had to be fixed.

I haven't driven the RV yet but my husband complains all the time how hard it is to maneuver in wind.  I think this is probably a problem with all RV's though.

When we had a sailboat and took classes, they really emphasized that both should be able to "drive" the boat in case one took sick onboard; or worst case, fell overboard.  The latter is not an issue in an RV, thankfully, but getting sick can happen to anyone.  It would stink to be stuck somewhere and unable to drive home or to a medical facility, if your husband got really sick.  Not as likely with short trips, but since we'll be full-timing, something I wouldn't feel comfortable with if I could not drive the rig at least in a pinch.  So I am going to have to get over my fears and at least test drive the ones we are seriously considering. 

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I think that is a very good idea.  There are several ladies here on the Forum that drive Class A motor homes.  I'm a big proponent of being able to drive the coach.  I also think you should know how to hook/unhook the tow car and the utilities connections.  We live in California and once when we were in Tucson, my husband got sick and wanted to go to his own doctor.  I did everything; drove back home and was comfortable doing it. 

When you get ready there are classes you can take; some at FMCA rallies with big open areas to learn and practice.

Marsha~

I agree that another set of speakers is needed up front also on our 30.1.  The fader setting on the radio does allow turning off the rear set in our bedroom but I still have to crank the main area roof speakers (one of which gets muted partially by the slide) too loud to hear it well at the front.

In Ontario, Canada there is no law that specifically states I can't use a stereo headset for music with my smartphone.  Safety wise as long as I keep the volume reasonable I can hear other noises.

We've had lots of issues but are chipping away at them all.  Sure glad I didn't have the "tidal wave of nasty".  I'm shuddering.

My latest issue is the Atwood water heater thermal cut-off tripped due to the flu/burner not being adjusted properly at the dealer.  Good thing it has a thermal cut-off because when I diagnosed the issue and bypassed it for a moment it could have burned up the whole motorhome.  Huge safety hazard.  I'm waiting for the replacement thermal cut-off to arrive from Atwood.

I recommend double checking that your dealer did a PDI on your Atwood propane water heater.  Follow the instructions and make sure you have a clean blue flame WITH the door closed.  Spiders and other insects can also clog up the tubes and cause flame ups.  Also, DON'T run the water heater while driving.  Manual warns that this is not safe due to the wind.  I did it once before knowing better.

harlee, the generator issue is being talked about by quite a few, just not here on this forum.

The parts for the generator fix are a little of a moving target right now.  Initially they said heat shield, fuel line wrap, and new bay door with louver.  Thor called me yesterday to tell me they are not doing the bay door, just the heat shield and fuel line wrap.  The part number for these two are:
Heat Shield- 0252153
Fuel Line Wrap- 0245385
If you decide to take your rig to a dealer to get these repairs done, these are the parts they need to order/reference.

BCintor, funny you should mention the water heater.  Ours has been not quite working right.  I had already adjusted the flame/air deal in an effort to make ours work better, however, ours really does not work.  The flame is nice and blue and burning correctly, however it just is not making hot water.  Fooled around with it for about 30 minutes, finally just gave up.  Read the instruction manuel twice, but that thing is worthless.  Wife is just washing dishes with cold water.  We have showers in all the RV parks we have been staying in so not a huge deal.

Lesh, my wife drives off and on just to give me a break, and so far, she has done pretty well, and we are MH+20 ft trailer hauling our Jeep.  I think you will find its easier than you might think. 

Since some of you apparently don't use other forums, you all might want to Google "cheap handling fix for F53 chassis".  This handling fix takes about 30 minutes to do and apparently does wonders for your handling and body roll.  I did it on mine, but did it from day one, so I can't say how it drove prior to the fix to compare it.  The topic is 50+ pages long so its a good bit of reading, but so far I have no complaints.

Another good thing to buy and keep on your rig is one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Carrand-93072-Aluminum-Handle-Insta-action/dp/B000CQ6C6S/ref=sr_1_72?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1340891679&sr=1-72
I don't have this one, picked up one similar at the hardware store here in West Yellowstone, but was going to buy this one.  Our rigs acquire so much road grime from traveling, and it got to a point, where every time I went to open a bay door to get something, my clothes were covered with dirt.  Took me about 5 minutes to give rig a quick scrub to take off the grime.  A lot of parks don't want you washing your rig, but when I tell them I just need to get some dirt off real quick, they have all said no problem.

We picked up our 2013 29.2 last Monday, and so far we love it -- though there have been some rough spots.

First, I have to compliment Darrell Primrose at the Chicago Camping World for his top-notch, thorough support and help.  He's been accessible and has literally gone the extra mile for us in the process of searching for, picking up, and ironing out the inevitable issues with our RV.  Many, many thanks, Darrell!

After picking up the RV on Monday, I drove to Chicago for some boondocking at the McCormick Place truck marshaling yard.  This is an enormous parking lot south of a massive convention center near Soldier Field.  Things went fine -- I'm glad we opted for the 15k BTU A/C upgrade during the 100 degree heat wave! -- but I noticed that the fridge started petering out.  It was still cold in there, but was gradually warming up over time.

Finally the fridge stopped working on either propane or electricity, and we had a box of spoiled food in the wall where there used to be a fridge.  I called Darrell, and he set up an appointment immediately to look into the problem.  It turns out that Thor or CW forgot to remove a shipping insert in the exhaust vent of the thing, so heat gradually built until it was useless.  It took the CW techs 10 minutes to fix the thing.

Next, the gray water valve next to the masticator was glued into the "open" position.  Not a disaster, but CW jury-rigged another valve as a replacement until we can get it serviced elsewhere.

Last, the sliding doors in the back of the RV are continuously coming loose while driving, though I repeatedly described the problem to the CW techs and they assured me they'd fixed the problem.  Oh, well.  I'll have to bungee the things open or something.

All in all, way way more positive than negative experience with the 29.2, and again, Darrell did an excellent job of customer support.  He's a rare gem of a salesman -- very reasonable negotiator, followed by superb support!

cj

BCinTOR said:

My latest issue is the Atwood water heater thermal cut-off tripped due to the flu/burner not being adjusted properly at the dealer.  Good thing it has a thermal cut-off because when I diagnosed the issue and bypassed it for a moment it could have burned up the whole motorhome.  Huge safety hazard.  I'm waiting for the replacement thermal cut-off to arrive from Atwood.

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I stand corrected.  I assumed it was something missed by the Buffalo dealer.  Georgetown RV in Georgetown, Ontario, who are really nice people to deal with, pulled the Atwood flue tube fully apart and found it clogged by a spiders nest.  I had peeked inside it from an angle but obviously that's not enough.  So glad to have it working again before our 10 day trip starting 2 days from now.

Busted my TV Antenna because I was in a rush to make the dealer appointment and my kids had left it up.  Slapping my forehead for not going through my departure checklist I wrote up to avoid these mistakes.  I learned that Thor installs an older antenna head unit.  The current Winegard series IV head unit ($99 CAD) claims 45% improvement in UHF channels 14 up due to a small extension on the side.  You can find it cheaper online but I want to contribute to the Georgetown dealer that slipped me in next day versus their 3 week backlog.

Enjoy,

Hey cuppajoe...Congrats on your new ACE!  I know Darrell enjoys his fan club! 
We have had the same problem with our sliding doors and in fact just picked our ACE up yesterday from CW after they've "fixed" them for the 4th time now!  Well, it made it one hour so far without breaking again.  They fixed them once before we picked it up, once a few minutes after we attepted to drive off the lot and they came loose in the parking lot, once at CW in WI on our way up to the Dells last week, and finally(?) a couple days ago.  My husband spoke to the service manager and he is well aware there is a recurring problem with these doors.  He said he spent an hour arguing with Thor to try to get them to send whatever was required to fix it.  Not sure if they did or if they just came up with something in the meantime.  We'll see.  Although if they break again, I'm going to be sure my husband calls Thor too and gets this settled for good. 
We had our bedroom TV installed the other day too.  It will be nice on our 2 week trip to occasionally watch a movie while the kids sleep upfront. 
We're taking our next short "prep" trip leaving Tuesday, but not camping until Thursday and Friday night.  We'll go up to Minocqua WI this time.  Can't wait!  Then a two week, 5 state trip at the end of July.

By the way, here is a link to DH's travel blog - in signature line.  The most recent posts are about our first RV outing with the ACE.

I'm sure we'll add this week's trip and of course our 2 week trip to MI, Niagara Falls, PA, and OH (technically IN too but we won't spend a night there.)  I know there is a trip report section of these boards but I thought I'd add a link here too since it will include plenty of pictures and facts about our ACE.
Edit: Link in sig line.

We called Thor about the generator issue and they said that we could have the 'issue' fixed at any authorized dealer but there wasn't an official recall.  I'm wondering if this is something mainly with the 2013 models?  We took ours out this weekend and didn't have any troubles, but we hardly ever have a need to run our generator.  I don't even think we have used it 2 hours yet and we have been on 4 trips.

Does anyone have troubles with sensitive smoke detectors?  I always cook in the RV and a wide variety of items.  Whenever I cook toast in the pan (we don't have a toaster b/c we don't make toast too often), the smoke detector goes off.  Every single time.  I'm not burning it and there is no smoke, in fact the bread is hardly toasted before it goes off.  I guess we will have to get a toaster b/c the smoke detector scares the poop out of our dogs.

Hi Lesh,

I toast bread on a $6 Coleman stove toaster and it doesn't set off our smoke alarm.  I assume you're always using the hood vent also.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000009190-Camp-Stove-Toaster/dp/B001TSEE4A

Hanging out in our motorhome in the rain at Pinery Provincial Park/Grand Bend on Lake Huron.

BCinTOR said:

I assume you're always using the hood vent also.

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Yes, I should have mentioned when I cook I turn the stove fan on, open a window over the dinette, put up the vent over the stove and put up the vent and turn on the fan in the bathroom.  I do everything possible to make sure the smoke detector doesn't go off since I know my dogs are so afraid of it.

Thanks for the link BCinTOR!

We have not set the smoke alarm off cooking ( toast, pasta, eggs, etc) as of yet, however did set the smoke alarm off instantly running the heater.  Was a little exciting at 3am one night.

Anyone ever change out their thermostat?  Was thinking of changing ours out to a digital one, the one that comes with the coach is really hard to fine tune the temps.  Were either a tad too hot or a tad too cold at night when sleeping.  During day time its no biggie.

The generator issue is something that you may never encounter depending on how you use your generator while driving.  Either way, get the fix done, some day you will need it, and it will help increase your generator life span in the long run.  We have found that most of the people having issues, are ones who are driving in hot temps, usually over 95 degrees or ones doing long drives or going up steep grades which requires MH engine to work hard.  I bet if you were just doing short legs on relatively flat ground, you would probably never encounter an issue.  Our Generator/MH is only 2 weeks old and we already have 55 hours on it (none of it from actual camping all driving hours).  I bet by the time we get home from this current trip, it will need another oil change.