2012 Thor ACE 29.2

[Lesh]

My husband does all the driving and I spend trips with all 3 dogs in my lap. 

[jemz]

LOVE this thread!  We've been looking at the ACEs for more than a year now and are close to buying (I think.)  Now that we are getting serious, I have a couple of stupid questions to hold me over until we go look at one again:

Are there only six seatbelts?  (This is important to me because we have 4 little kids and would like to have another baby next year. I know there's room for them to sleep comfortably but how about driving safely?)

The TV/DVD player working while we are driving is a big deal to us (for kid's entertainment on long driving days.)  When we looked at the dealer, the salesman indicated that there was only a problem when the TV was in front of the driver and not a problem on the ACE.  Was he wrong/lying?  I'm a rule follower, but I question it when the rules don't make sense.  I don't see how the TV will distract the driver in it's location on the 29.2.  Is this going to be a big obstacle?

Where do you plug in things like a toaster and coffeemaker?  I haven't looked in person but I don't see outlets in the pics or videos.  Are they just tucked away?  I understand you store those things when you're driving.

Any advice for making this purchase?  I've got a quote from rvdirect and have requested an internet quote from Camping World near Chicago which is 90minutes from us. (Glad to hear you got a good price from them, Jan.) I'm looking at getting it fully loaded but no body paint.  Is there anything I should save/spend my money on? 

Thanks for the help!

[jemz]

By the way, Jan, my DH did contact your guy at CW but hasn't heard back yet.  Since I'm new to these forums I don't know if you're allowed to post prices, but if you can give me more info I'd appreciate it.  I got a pretty good internet quote for the ACE 29.2 from another place for $63440 including every option except paint. It's just not near us.  We'd have to take a special trip to pick it up and that's not the direction we want to head this year. We'd probably wait until next year if that's our best price by a lot.   When we were pricing last year, I recall it being right around $60K for the 29.1.  I hadn't seen the 29.2 then, but now I know that's what we want. 

[CarolinaBornGal]

Hello -- my first post here!   

My husband and I are in the very early research phase of our first RV.  I've been looking at the ACE motorhomes and like them very much.  Seems that most of you who have posted here prefer the 29.2 to the 29.1.  I'm curious about something I'd read in a couple of different places online, that said not to have the refrigerator in a slide.  I can't give you all the technical reasons, but it had to do with the coolant.  Is this not an issue with the 29.2? 

Thanks!
Emily

[Lesh]

There are 2 seatbelts in the sofa and 1 on each side in the dinette which equals 4, then you have the driver and passenger seat for a total of 6.

I haven't tried to run the TV while driving since its only the two of us but my husband thinks it would work if you had the generator running.   It definitely won't run with just the engine going.  I don't know if the people who mentioned theirs not working earlier realized they needed the generator running...they will have to respond.

There are plenty of outlets throughout the kitchen & coach.  They are tucked underneath the cabinets.

I dont know where you live, how you will store the RV or how long you plan to keep it but i would highly recommend the full paint option.  This is going to keep your coach looking nicer longer and you won't have to worry about the decals peeling.

Did you get a quote on a 2012 or 2012?  I dont know if we got a good deal but we paid $74k for ours with every option including full paint, it's a 2012.

We LOVE our 29.2 and would highly recommend it but obviously it doesn't fit all families & lifestyles.

[Jan Stiskala]

I have 8 seat belts. Dina have seat bells for 4 people lounge for 2 people and front driver and passenger seat.
Mine rv is actually 2013 model as paperwork supplied.

I just sent the dealer e-mail about him not replying to your price request. he is nice bloke and took good care about my purchase. His name is Darrell Primrose.

[Lesh]

I have 8 seat belts. Dina have seat bells for 4 people lounge for 2 people and front driver and passenger seat.

My dinette only has one large seat belt on each side.  There are not two separate ones for me.  Maybe you can strap in two people with each one?

[harlee79]

The main tv will run with the gennie running so it's not a law issue just a power issue.  A lot of the electrical outlets are hidden in this coach, under cabinets or under the dinette.  We just got back from a couple night getaway and everything worked great, we love this coach.  Only issue I have is I can't get the grey tank to fully show empty, but I noticed the sensor for1/3 is level with my outlet feed so it's pretty much impossible for me to show empty.  Not a big deal after I looked it over and now understand the reason.   

[harlee79]

Oh and we traveled to pick up our ace local dealers wouldn't come down close to the price we got buying close to the factory.. Couple cheap tickets to Chicago and cheap rental car then save thousands over local pricing for me.  Buy the leveling jacks that is an option you would regret.  The fantastic fan is also nice it moves a lot of air.

[Lesh]

The main tv will run with the gennie running so it's not a law issue just a power issue.  A lot of the electrical outlets are hidden in this coach, under cabinets or under the dinette.  We just got back from a couple night getaway and everything worked great, we love this coach.  Only issue I have is I can't get the grey tank to fully show empty, but I noticed the sensor for1/3 is level with my outlet feed so it's pretty much impossible for me to show empty.  Not a big deal after I looked it over and now understand the reason.   

We had that same problem with our grey tank sensor.  By the 3rd trip it started showing empty.  We will see what it does tomorrow.

[Jan Stiskala]

The main tv will run with the gennie running so it's not a law issue just a power issue.  A lot of the electrical outlets are hidden in this coach, under cabinets or under the dinette.  We just got back from a couple night getaway and everything worked great, we love this coach.  Only issue I have is I can't get the grey tank to fully show empty, but I noticed the sensor for1/3 is level with my outlet feed so it's pretty much impossible for me to show empty.  Not a big deal after I looked it over and now understand the reason.   

I have same problem with this. Shows 1/3 and newer empty when is drained.
Just question, when you draining black and grey tank, can you have bought of them open and drain them together? I did that last time and just wander if that was ok to do. I am talking about the leavers where the pump switch is.

[Lesh]

Hello -- my first post here!   

My husband and I are in the very early research phase of our first RV.  I've been looking at the ACE motorhomes and like them very much.  Seems that most of you who have posted here prefer the 29.2 to the 29.1.  I'm curious about something I'd read in a couple of different places online, that said not to have the refrigerator in a slide.  I can't give you all the technical reasons, but it had to do with the coolant.  Is this not an issue with the 29.2? 

Thanks!
Emily

I think that the 29.2 model is much more popular than the 29.1 since it came out and mainly because it has a better kitchen layout.  The kitchen is hardly accessible when the slide is in on the 29.1 & its configured all wrong in my opinion.  Having the entire kitchen side by side in the 29.2 is very convenient.   We haven't had a single problem (knock on wood) with our fridge.  I haven't heard anything about their being an issue with it on the slide though.  Im sure there are many other models that have it that way.

[harlee79]

Jan, you should do black then grey to wash out the yuck, the way it is configured on the29.2 doesn't prohibit you from doing both at the same time. Just might leave some ick behind. 

[Lesh]

Jan- i dont know if there is a right or wrong way but i have always been told/read that you do the black tank first and then grey so the grey water flushes out your hose.  We always flush them separately.

[Jan Stiskala]

It sounds logical. I will do this in that order in future.

[CarolinaBornGal]

I poked around a little more last night online -- seems the potential issue with having a fridge in a slide is the fact that it cannot be vented through the roof.  I guess in some (but not all) cases, this has led to problems with keeping things cool enough in the fridge.  Good to hear that none with the 29.2 have had problems yet.  I agree that the kitchen layout is better than the 29.1 overall, but we need to walk around in both plans and see which we prefer.  According to manufacturer's specs, the 29.1 has slightly more exterior storage capacity than the 29.2, and that is very important to us. 

I have another question:  is anyone full-timing in an ACE?  I read on another forum from a woman who had been very close to buying a 29.2 but determined that it didn't have enough interior storage for full-timing (and she is alone, I would be with my husband so even more "stuff").  She said in particular the kitchen area and bedroom had much less storage capacity/cabinets than her previous Class C.  Thanks for your opinions on this!

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'm curious about something I'd read in a couple of different places online, that said not to have the refrigerator in a slide.  I can't give you all the technical reasons, but it had to do with the coolant.  Is this not an issue with the 29.2? 

Emily,
I don't know where you read that, but its hogwash. A refrigerator works fine in a slide. About the only consideration for locating it there might be the less effective  ventilation because it has to vent to the side rather than straight up and out the roof. I think we have at least a couple owners here who have fridges in the slideout and I do not recall hearing of any cooling issues.

[Alfa38User]

I  initially read that in the refrigerator manufacturers documentation (likely Dometic's as those are the ones I have) that they did not condone installation in a slide for that very reason. However, the addition of fans to draw or help  the hot air up and out may have largely made that a non-argument.

It may still be a small problem in very hot areas, especially if the installation is on the sunny side of a parked RV. The construction of the venting area can either help or hinder too. If the construction is such that a pocket of hot air can be created above the upper vent, it may be problematic in that installation. I believe that some early Alfa trailers with refers in the slide suffered that way.

[Larry N.]

Emily,
I don't know where you read that, but its hogwash. A refrigerator works fine in a slide. About the only consideration for locating it there might be the less effective  ventilation because it has to vent to the side rather than straight up and out the roof. I think we have at least a couple owners here who have fridges in the slideout and I do not recall hearing of any cooling issues.

I'll certainly second that. The Bounder I had used a couple of fans, in addition to a side mounted vent, for the slide-mounted refrig, and we never had any cooling problems with it -- actually, we sometimes had to be careful not to freeze things. I could hear the fans come on periodically. They ran longer when it was hotter, of course.

[jemz]

Oh and we traveled to pick up our ace local dealers wouldn't come down close to the price we got buying close to the factory.. Couple cheap tickets to Chicago and cheap rental car then save thousands over local pricing for me.  Buy the leveling jacks that is an option you would regret.  The fantastic fan is also nice it moves a lot of air.

What factory?  We live near Chicago.  My price from CW is $5K over what I can get in Orlando FL.  We're going to check with two more local dealers and see if we can get closer.  Otherwise we may wait until next year when we have a trip planned to Orlando anyway.

[jemz]

Thank you everyone for all the information!  We are very excited about getting this RV!  I hope it's this year and not next...I can't wait!

[harlee79]

What factory?  We live near Chicago.  My price from CW is $5K over what I can get in Orlando FL.  We're going to check with two more local dealers and see if we can get closer.  Otherwise we may wait until next year when we have a trip planned to Orlando anyway.

The Thor Factory that produces the ACE motorhome is in Elkhart Indiana.  We bought ours in Elkhart.

[Chrizee]

I want to thank you all for the awesome advice! I found this forum last night and soaked it all in before we headed to look at some Class A and C's today. We looked at a dozen and after test driving a 30ft coachmen freelander and the ACE 29.2, it was a no brainier on which one to choose. Better yet the whole family (5 people) agreed!

 The advice on here helped me look at specific things when doing my walk throughs and negotiate a good price. I had been doing research for months but this site was more helpful. I went there really hoping I'd love the ACE and as luck would have it, it was love at first sight.  Hope to pick it up this weekend! Thanks again! 

Oh, and they told me I would probably wake up in the middle of the night screaming, what did I just do! Lol but I KNOW what I just did and I'm super excited!

[Jan Stiskala]

I must say that I am pleased with my choice. No regret at all so far.

And Emily,
 Bought ACE models have so much storage, that you don't have to worry. How many people you need to fit in for full timing?

[VetteRprMan]

Hoping to buy an A.C.E. 29.2 tomorrow. We've looked at a lot of RVs the last few days. My wife and I both liked the 29.2 the best.  We are planning to take a long trip in July. I will post updates when we pull the trigger.

[CarolinaBornGal]

And Emily,
 Bought ACE models have so much storage, that you don't have to worry. How many people you need to fit in for full timing?

Just my husband and I and our dog.  But I'm especially worried about the storage in the bedroom for clothing.  There's no full-length wardrobe and minimal drawers.  We'd need to carry four seasons worth of clothes plus recreation wear for cycling, hiking, padding, all different types of shoes for these activities as well.... I love the look of the ACE and a lot of the amenities, but so many Class C's I've seen have almost a full wall of wardrobe in that  back bedroom (hanging closets plus drawers), I'm afraid the few cabinets/cubbies in the ACE will not be sufficient.  We will definitely take a look at one in the flesh, though!

One other question: Have any of the more petite ladies driven one?  I have heard from some small ladies on another forum that Class As were very difficult for them to drive (reaching the pedals, interference with the steering wheel, and reaching the sunvisor, etc.  I am 5'2".  If I can't drive a Class A, we'll only be able to consider Class C, as my husband does not want to be the only driver (and I don't blame him).

Thanks!
Emily

[harlee79]

One other question: Have any of the more petite ladies driven one?  I have heard from some small ladies on another forum that Class As were very difficult for them to drive (reaching the pedals, interference with the steering wheel, and reaching the sunvisor, etc.  I am 5'2".  If I can't drive a Class A, we'll only be able to consider Class C, as my husband does not want to be the only driver (and I don't blame him).

My wife is what i would consider a little lady, and she has no problems reaching the pedels or the controls with the exception of the radio and thermostat controls, those are way far away from everyone as its so spacious up there.  The stearing wheel is huge so that also helps.  She would like to drive more i'm sure, i just don't want to give up my seat...

[Lesh]

Just my husband and I and our dog.  But I'm especially worried about the storage in the bedroom for clothing.  There's no full-length wardrobe and minimal drawers.  We'd need to carry four seasons worth of clothes plus recreation wear for cycling, hiking, padding, all different types of shoes for these activities as well.... I love the look of the ACE and a lot of the amenities, but so many Class C's I've seen have almost a full wall of wardrobe in that  back bedroom (hanging closets plus drawers), I'm afraid the few cabinets/cubbies in the ACE will not be sufficient.  We will definitely take a look at one in the flesh, though!

One other question: Have any of the more petite ladies driven one?  I have heard from some small ladies on another forum that Class As were very difficult for them to drive (reaching the pedals, interference with the steering wheel, and reaching the sunvisor, etc.  I am 5'2".  If I can't drive a Class A, we'll only be able to consider Class C, as my husband does not want to be the only driver (and I don't blame him).

Thanks!
Emily

Have you thought about looking at the 30.1?  This model has most of its storage in the bedroom.  Basically there is a full dresser/closet type set up.  They layout is much different than the 29.2 and we didn't like it but you might prefer the storage option.  You will lose the large outside storage in the back with this model since the bedroom is on a slide.  This was something that we were not willing to give up.

The 29.2 has two large cabinets over the bed that are very deep and then there are two "closets" on each side of the bed that can be used for hanging and folded items.  Then there are the "nightstand" type drawers.  My husband and I travel with our 3 dogs and that's it.  We don't use a lot of the storage on the inside but we only go for 3-4 days at a time.  For us there was plenty of storage for us and some friends.  The storage in the 29.2 is spread around the coach which is nice if you have guests sleeping with you.  Most of the storage is in the bedroom with the 30.1 which we didn't like if we had overnight guests.

Also, don't forget that there are 3 storage compartments at the RV steps inside.  The compartment on the side wall would be great for storing shoes, then you have a drawer and the top step opens for storage as well.  You really need to look at one in person to see all of the things they have hidden inside.

I don't drive our RV, I just don't feel comfortable.  My husband says it drives very much like a car though.  He does have some trouble when its super windy though.  From the passenger view the pedals seem very high and I don't think there would be a problem for a shorter driver.

[CarolinaBornGal]

Have you thought about looking at the 30.1?  This model has most of its storage in the bedroom.  Basically there is a full dresser/closet type set up.  They layout is much different than the 29.2 and we didn't like it but you might prefer the storage option.  You will lose the large outside storage in the back with this model since the bedroom is on a slide.  This was something that we were not willing to give up.

Us either -- that's why we can't really consider the 30.1 -- otherwise, it would definitely be "the one".  But we want to carry our bikes and take-apart kayak in that large outside storage "garage" that only the two 29 models have.

The 29.2 has two large cabinets over the bed that are very deep and then there are two "closets" on each side of the bed that can be used for hanging and folded items.  Then there are the "nightstand" type drawers.  My husband and I travel with our 3 dogs and that's it.  We don't use a lot of the storage on the inside but we only go for 3-4 days at a time.  For us there was plenty of storage for us and some friends.  The storage in the 29.2 is spread around the coach which is nice if you have guests sleeping with you.  Most of the storage is in the bedroom with the 30.1 which we didn't like if we had overnight guests.

That wouldn't be an issue for us because we won't be having overnight guests.  We don't have kids and never really travel with other couples.  But I think the key is that you're only going for 3-4 days at a time, and thus would only need a small quantity of clothing and all for one season.  Think about packing a suitcase for a short trip vs. packing up your entire clothes closet to move from your home.  Obviously we will pare down as much as possible, within reason, but we don't want to have to find a laundromat every couple of days b/c we have so few clothes onboard.

I don't drive our RV, I just don't feel comfortable.  My husband says it drives very much like a car though.  He does have some trouble when its super windy though.  From the passenger view the pedals seem very high and I don't think there would be a problem for a shorter driver.

Thanks -- that's good to know.  I wouldn't feel comfortable not being able to drive my RV.  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. 

Thanks again for the information!

Emily

[Lesh]

Just a tip with the bikes.  We also travel with ours and I was determine for them to ride in the storage compartment.  I was dead set on not having a bike rack b/c they worry me.  After our first trip I had to let my husband win on the bike rack fight!  It was very difficult to get the bikes in the compartment, especially with all the other items.  They had to lay a weird way and when they were on top of one another there was a lot of rubbing.  After crawling inside the storage area a couple times I was done with that.  We immediately got a bike rack and the rest is history!

I totally understand about your need for more clothing.  I guess it all comes down to how well you can fold and store!     There is also storage under the sofa (inside a suitcase or bag) and some have said they have storage under the dinette seats, but ours were screwed shut.  Storage was a huge issue with us though so I know how important it is to make sure you have enough.

I do need to know how to drive the RV, but I am terrified to do so.  I am not a bad driver but I am one of those people that only feels comfortable in my own vehicle.  I know exactly how long it is and what it takes to get around.  I think I will have a really hard time using mirrors to change lanes and the overall size scares me.  You are right about needing to know in case of an emergency...I will get around to it!     I need to figure out a route that doesn't have much traffic for my first time.