Thor ACE 30.1

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We bought our ACE 30.1 at the end of January 2013 and so far love it.  We have taken a trip to Arkansas and had below freezing temps in the evenings.  The heater handled it all very well and we stayed comfortable throughout the coach.  Our next trip was down to Boerne, TX just outside of San Antonio and again all went well.  We have had no problems with the unit so far.  We had a lot of wind on our trip back from Arkansas, Weather Service Wind Advisories, and the coach handled very well, however it did require your full attention while driving.  All in all, we love it so far and are looking forward to many more miles in it.
 
Has anyone done the F53 handling fix of moving the link arms discussed extensively on motorhome forums?

Our Thor Ace 30.1 handles OK but certainly needs two hands and close attention in any sort of wind.  Since the seating position isn't ideal for my 5'6" it can be tiring for long drives.

We might do a 22 hour drive to Florida this year.
 
We have a 2013 ACE 29.2 and I did the cheap handling fix. I did the front (1 hour) first and my wife noticed the change immediately--much more stability and an increase in driving confidence. The back took longer (I had to use a jack to urge one of the ends into place). Now HaRVey handles with much less understeer (push) than before.
As for seating...DW is 5'!" and I'm 5'8". We drive with the small square pillow behind our backs. I also made two 7' X 16" X 1 1/2" risers & covered them with matching carpet. I used an old foam-core garage door. They look good (honest) and now our feet touch the 'floor'.
My DW now finds the seating position so comfortable and the driving so easy (CHF?) that she does about half the driving.
The best, Harry
 
Thanks Harry for the feedback on the handling fix.

Took our 30.1 out of it's heated indoor storage today.  It's supposed to be spring!  Maybe I should take it to the ski hill instead.

I had to wait for the roads to dry up to avoid getting covered in wet road salt.

I'm off to Buffalo on Tuesday.  I'm hoping to get all the issues resolved before warmer weather arrives.

Cheers,


 

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I've discovered another issue with our 30.1 and I'm wondering if other's have the same problem.

On the main slide the couch and dinette have a rubber gasket that presses against the tile floor.  If it wasn't there you'd have air passing directly through from the outside.

Yesterday I discovered that the gasket is missing from the ends.  The parts perpendicular to the couch and dinette gasket.

If I shine a flashlight in from the outside you can see it all the way through.  Now I know why we had lots of mosquitoes inside during the summer.  Might as was well have an open window...

I could feel the air (just above freezing) passing through the gap and investigated.

Fortunately I'm at the dealership getting other warranty issues address like the custom paint that peeled off the plastic strips so hopefully they can figure out how to solve this issue.  It won't be easy to install a gasket now that everything is assembled.  Would have been easy to install while it was being built.

Thanks.
 

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We are picking up our 30.1 tomorrow in Murrieta, CA.  I was happy with the short test drive I made, but I'm sure the 'handling fix' will be on my to-do list.
 
I should be picking my 30.1 tomorrow afternoon, I might even try to do the Cheap Fix before we take it out this weekend...
 
Has anyone else with the 30.1 had the headboard fall off the wall?  See my pictures attached.

It's held on by staples that penetrate the wall behind by only about 1/4 of an inch.  It's a very flimsy attachment that I don't expect will last on these units.

I guess I need to put some phone calls into Thor to find out the recommended method to fix this issue without puncturing the outside wall.  I expect I need to unstaple the fabric wrap and find the right length of screws to use.

Happy to have suggestions from forum members on the best solution to this problem.

Thanks.
 

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sparky220 said:
ok I am lost what is the cheap fix also i took deliver 2 montha ago and i have wnat looks like an adjustable support what is that for
Click to expand...

Hi Sparky220,

Maybe you've already found the info but here's the link to the Cheap Handling Fix discussion: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f23/cheap-handling-fix-72335.html

I haven't made the modification.  Certainly I get pushed around in the wind and can't use lazy holds on the steering wheel like in a car without crossing lines.  If we do a 22 hour Florida trip I'll probably get the mod done ahead of time as I'm not sure I'll ever get my wife to drive the motorhome.

thanks.
 
BCinTOR said:
Has anyone else with the 30.1 had the headboard fall off the wall?  See my pictures attached.

It's held on by staples that penetrate the wall behind by only about 1/4 of an inch.  It's a very flimsy attachment that I don't expect will last on these units.

I guess I need to put some phone calls into Thor to find out the recommended method to fix this issue without puncturing the outside wall.  I expect I need to unstaple the fabric wrap and find the right length of screws to use.

Happy to have suggestions from forum members on the best solution to this problem.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have a 29.2 but I'm sure they were put together the same way.  I noticed that our headboard was "flopping" the last time we went on a trip.  I figured that it had always been like that and we just didn't notice.  It hasn't fallen off/down yet, just flops at the top.  When our pillows are there it is fine.  It doesn't bother us when in bed.  Ours looked like it was just tucked into the mattress/bed frame at the bottom, but I didn't want to mess with it too much in case it fell apart. 

If you figure out how to fix the issue, please share.  I might be in the same boat as you soon enough.
 
Hi Lesh,

Thanks for responding.

That sounds to me like yours may have already come off the wall.  Ours used to be above the mattress level and out of the way when making the bed until it fell down and rested on the mattress board.

I took it off right away and put it in the house because the staples are going to put scratches in the wall on mine.  Luckily there is only one small scratch so the wall looks OK without the headboard for now.

Will let you know.
 
BCinTOR said:
That sounds to me like yours may have already come off the wall.  Ours used to be above the mattress level and out of the way when making the bed until it fell down and rested on the mattress board.
Click to expand...

You were absolutely correct!  I took a look behind the headboard and sure enough it looked just like your picture.  My husband has decided that we will cut or bend the staples? or whatever it was holding the headboard to the wall and instead get some heavy duty velcro to reattach.
 
BC in Toronto
My modification are complete i went with the Road Master anti sway in the rear and the cheep modification in the front. I will tell you it is the best money I have spent. There are are a choice of two kits for the rear depending on the rear axle the kit and installation will run around $1400.00 well worth it in my eyes.
 
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