Reliable Used Class A

[Kirk]

my wife saw a used Class A Thor Vega 24.1 she liked.

As mentioned in a previous post, the RV is a class A motorhome that is riding on a van chassis with only 14,500# of gross weight. A new one sells for about $120,000 dollars while I found several of them that were 10 years old asking $50k or less. The fact that the price falls so rapidly is an indication of the poor reputation that they have. The only person that I personally know who has owned one bought his new in 2018 and traded it for a Tiffin product after 13 months and accepted a loss of about 30% to get rid of it.

Will it rattle and sway as much as the longer models.

While I do not know what you are comparing to, a class A that is built on a van chassis is not going to handle well and one that is priced so far below those it competes with when new is not likely to be high quality.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Which Thor model do you have. I made a mistake; we're looking at the 24.1 not the 27.7. The 24.1 is approximately 25ft long. Will it rattle and sway as much as the longer models. Thank You

Sway largely depends on the length of the overhang behind the rear wheels compared to the wheelbase. The more wall area you have behind the rear axle the more side winds, passing trucks etc. will push you around. Wind pushing the RV between the axles will make it lean but not change direction. Wind hitting behind the rear axle pushes the front end the opposite way (pivoting around the rear axle) so you have to countersteer against it and then correct again when the wind lets up.

 

[Isaac-1]

Note depending on the chassis there are various suspension upgrades that can be added to help with handling, these include stiffer anti sway bars, track bars, steering stabilizers, helper springs, etc.

 

[Jack1776]

Note depending on the chassis there are various suspension upgrades that can be added to help with handling, these include stiffer anti sway bars, track bars, steering stabilizers, helper springs, etc.

The Thor Vega we a looking at (via internet) is a 2018 on an E450. It is approximately 25.5 feet in length (306 inches) with a wheelbase of 15.67 ft (188 inches) approximately 61%.

 

[Isaac-1]

Reading back over this thread it seems like a lot of your concern of an F53 vs E450 chassis coach could be solved by taking a test drive of similar vintage coaches on each platform. Giving any specific advice beyond that is hard to do as you tell us nothing about your intended use.

 

[Jack1776]

Reading back over this thread it seems like a lot of your concern of an F53 vs E450 chassis coach could be solved by taking a test drive of similar vintage coaches on each platform. Giving any specific advice beyond that is hard to do as you tell us nothing about your intended use.

Both my wife and I are in out late 70's and planning on taking a long trip of possibly a year around the country. We have been rv'ing over the years with different types of units, but for now we feel a small class C or Class A would fit us best. We are more journey travelers than destination. We currently live in Central Oregon, and not particularly close to any major RV dealerships. We plan to test drive anything before we purchase, but trying to narrow down are choices and be better informed. Thank You

 

[Kirk]

Being a few years older than you, I'll caution you to make sure that what you do buy is high quality and well maintained, as repairs and maintenance become more and more difficult as we age. Unless you are an RV expert, I strongly recommend that you have anything you are considering checked out by a professional pre-purchase inspector. We also found that moving around to do one's daily tasks in limited space is becoming more difficult.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The smallest F53 (class A) chassis is 16,000 lb GVWR and 158" wheelbase, so suitable for a class A of roughly 25 ft. However, very few class A are built that short. Maybe a Winnebago Intent at 26 ft. Most everything else in that size range will be a Class C and most likely on the Ford E450 chassis (14,050 lb GVWR). The E450 is a good match for a coach of 24-29 ft, but lengths of 30-31 ft will tax it rather heavily.

The necessary size for two travelers on an extended journey is very much a personal thing, but I recommend you err on the side of extra space. And consider towing a car for local sightseeing if you worry about city driving in a 25-28 ft vehicle.

 

[Jack1776]

The smallest F53 (class A) chassis is 16,000 lb GVWR and 158" wheelbase, so suitable for a class A of roughly 25 ft. However, very few class A are built that short. Maybe a Winnebago Intent at 26 ft. Most everything else in that size range will be a Class C and most likely on the Ford E450 chassis (14,050 lb GVWR). The E450 is a good match for a coach of 24-29 ft, but lengths of 30-31 ft will tax it rather heavily.

The necessary size for two travelers on an extended journey is very much a personal thing, but I recommend you err on the side of extra space. And consider towing a car for local sightseeing if you worry about city driving in a 25-28 ft vehicle.

The Class A we have been viewing (internet) is a 2018 Thor Vega on an E450. It is approximately 25.5 feet in length (306 inches) with a wheelbase of 15.67 ft (188 inches) approximately 61%. If I am understanding you correctly, the E450 is a better chassis than the F3 chassis. This that correct. Thank You

 

[Isaac-1]

The E450 is a lighter chassis than the Ford F53, but is the same E series basic chassis as is found under all Econoline vans so more mechanics will likely be familiar with it, than are familiar with the Ford F53 used on traditional gas class A motorhomes.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

If I am understanding you correctly, the E450 is a better chassis than the F3 chassis. This that correct.

For that size coach, the E450 is an excellent fit. The F53 comes in multiple wheelbase & GVWR sizes and the shortest/lightest is indeed not as good in that particular application. A longer wheelbase F53 would be a better choice, but RV manufacturers are notorious for using the smallest & cheapest chassis they can get away with.

I'm hedging my answer because the F53 in general is more capable than the E450, but in this case the E450 is a better match for the task than any of the available F53 configurations. The limitation of the E450 is its modest GVWR. I don't know what an empty Axis 25.5 weighs, but I'll bet its available Cargo Capacity (the OCCC rating) is rather low. The smallest F53 can carry 2000 lbs more.

Choosing the optimal truck chassis isn't as simple as picking out a car you like - the chassis option list is extensive and very technical. . And the RV maker is very much cost-driven when ordering the chassis for a given RV model.

 

[Kirk]

If I am understanding you correctly, the E450 is a better chassis than the F3 chassis.

That is not a valid statement. The chassis needs to fit the RV to be built on it and while the E450 is an excellent choice for many class C models, it is not a good choice for many of the longer ones. In looking at the Ford Website information, the E450 in 2019 was available with wheelbase lengths of 138", 158", and 176". To understand the reason that Thor built your RV on the E450, rather than the (178")F53 chassis is that the E450 chassis has an MSRP that is about $7k less than the comparable F53. The Vega is marketed for the lowest budget Class A market sector and so is built to save money. Most people who buy their first motorhome will only be using it for weekends and an occasional vacation so have difficulty in cost justifying the money required to get into one of the more highly rated coaches. In my opinion, that is a legitimate product, as long as one realizes what they are buying. If you do your research, you will find that the Vega is at the low end of the class A price range and that there are new coaches out there for every budget from about $110k to more than $2 million.

(176" divided by 306" is equal to 57.5%, which is still good.)

 

[Jack1776]

Thanks to all