2009 newmar bay star vs a 2016 thor

way2roll wrote:
Be wary of brand bashing especially when doesn't come from real world experience. Thor makes more motorhomes than anyone else so the complaint volumes are relative. Newmar manufactures far less by comparison. My first 2 motorhomes were Thor and had very little problems with either and found their customer service to be stellar. I was assigned a personal concierge to handle any issues that did arise. We loved both of those motorhomes and felt both were worth what I paid. I sold them both privately and came nearly clean on each deal. I have been through a few Bay stars and the famed Newmar quality escaped me. One was as a show and it was abysmal. Bin doors not square and wouldn't stay securely closed, no slide toppers, no famed Amish cabinetry (unless the Amish build veneer coated stapled cabinets), Blinds not securely fastened to the wall and thus pulling out, corner trim not securely stapled, the list went on but you get the point. All I heard prior to that was how great Newmar was, frankly I walked away scratching my head. Another thought, neither of these units have a warranty so customer service is a moot point and both are old enough to have any bugs worked out. Pick which one you like best and the floorplan that suits. If people really looked at things objectively you probably can't tell much difference in build quality. They both have the same chassis, same appliances, same AC, etc. I've always told people, ignore what everyone tells you and walk through units at a show ignoring what brand they are and see if you can conclude what brand you are in. I would bet dollars to donuts most people can't. At the level you are looking there simply isn't a lot of difference to buy on brand alone.

This post will follow with a piling on of rebuttals but separate those from real world experience and not hearsay and personal opinions. Also, visit Thor and newmar forums. I think you'll find very similar complaints when comparing like models.

Well...we own a Newmar motorhome, our 3rd one so far, and up until last Fall we also owned a Thor travel trailer, so I have experience with both brands.

For my money, I'll stick with a Newmar every time.

As far as build, take a look at the structure of each and get back to us.