Forest River FR3 vs. Thor A.C.E., any feedback please

They are both priced similarly. Length is about the same. The ACE has a king size bed while the FR3 has a separate shower (The ACE has the shower, sink and toilet in the same room. I have been seriously looking at the ACE 27.1 though the ACE comes in 3 different lengths. There were some generator issues on the 2012-13 ACE units. But I believe they have been solved on the 2014 units. Tough call. I would factor the location of the nearest servicing dealer versus price and decide.

I owned a Thor ACE 27.1 for 3 months. Took a loss and traded it in on a Winnebago Vista 27N. Not happy about loosing the money but very glad to be rid of the ACE. The ACE has very poor handeling, wanders all over the road, the fit and finish is poor, lots of rattles and bangs. Check some of the other threads about ACE handeling. I had multiple water leaks, trim pulling off, one pocket door pulled off the rollers and jamed blocking the bedroom, and those are just the hight points. When you are going through an ACE just for fun try out the throne. Unless you're over 6 feet, your toes will barely touch the floor.

I posted my own observations of the ACE vs. FR3 on a post over on irv2:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f254/fr3-149400-2.html#post1559104
partially copied below as well.

Regarding MikeBreeze's comments about the ACE having a king bed - one of the ACE models has a king, the others do not. The ACE 30.1 model most closely mirrors the FR3 30DS, with a split bath floor plan.


The ACE has 1" sidewalls compared to 1.5 on the FR# (stronger, more insulation, etc); The FR3 is made w/ heavier gauge aluminum; In the FR3 they run the "Plank wood style flooring" over the entire subfloor - even where there is carpet - which creates an added moisture barrier should there ever be a spill or leak from above; Also, I noticed more care given to securing wiring and water lines, attention to detail on trim parts and that sort of thing.

On the design front - the FR3 has a radius roof (more room in the front drop-down bunk), flush floor construction (no step up into cockpit), a double sink instead of smaller round sink in ACE, Flexsteel furniture - far superior to the furniture in the ACE; full queen (60x80) instead of small queen in ACE (60x75); the front cap in FR3 has smaller pillars compared to the larger pillars in the ACE which create more of a blind spot.

The product manager at FR was quick to give credit to Thor for the initial design of the ACE - after all, they got this type of hybrid product to the market first. But then FR built their own version very similar to the ACE, then tore it apart and rebuilt it to improve upon it, and yet again, until they were satisfied they had a superior unit, and I believe it is.

As an owner of 2 ACES I will offer what info I can.

I do not have nor have I had any leaks or major items of repair that others mentioned. The Ace comes in 4 floor plans, The 29.1 with a smaller side and split bath, the 29.2 with all enclosed bath and larger slide, the 30.1, back to a split bath but additional bed slide, and the 27.2 with Kimg bed - presumably to compete against the winnie 26he.

Things to like about the ACE - They are light and innovative units thus tow capacity can use just about all the 5k. Cost - any model can be had for the mid to upper $60's. Storage - more than I have seen on any other unit. No carpet in the dinette - genius. Thor is hands down one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. Top notch support. Any issue is addressed quickly and without hassle at any dealer of my choosing if it's a Thor dealer or not.

Both units I have handle and drive great. Not sure what issues some other posters have had but it sits on the same chassis as every other gasser. DId the free sway bar fix and I get no truck push, wander or roll. Also not sure what the comments about gen sets are either. It's the same gen set in every other unit in it's class. That was a cummins issue not Thor specific.

Things to consider on the ACE. Fit and finish, while not horrible it is on par with what I would expect from a $65k coach. Get the larger 5k air unit. The 3.5 just doesn't do it.

I know little about the FR3, might go look at one at a local dealer. Initial thoughts - too much carpet. HATE all the wood grain paneling. Reminds me of my grandma's basement. Some might like it. And EVERY innovation on the coach from the bunk, to the laptop desk to the wide open engine compartment was stolen from Thor. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Still I'll go look at one and make some in person observations.

We've had our ACE 30.1 for a little more than a year, and love everything about it. The fit and finish is fine, handling has been excellent, and power is more than adequate. Average mileage so far is 8.59 mpg without toad, 7.78 with toad (a 2006 Toyota Highlander, which is bit on the heavy side). Storage is more than adequate. (I've heard some people say that the 30.1 storage is too small, but we came from a 27 foot trailer so we may have lower standards.) Most of all, we love the layout. Everyone's preferences are different, but for us we have never seen any motorhome, at any size or price, that fits our preferred interior arrangement as well as the 30.1. It's mostly little things, like having the TV across from the couch so that you don't get cancer of the neck bones caused by keeping your head permanently cocked to one side, or being able to close the bathroom/shower off from both the bedroom and the main living area, and having enough counter space, etc. You get the idea ...

One other factor, Thor customer service is unparalleled. We were assigned a personal "concierge" who checked in several times to make sure we were happy. We had a couple little nits with some items, called customer service, and they walked us through checklists and the solution to get everything working. We've owned a lot of RVs over the years and I've never seen anything as exceptional as Thor's customer service. Actually, I've never seen anything like that for any product.

I don't know about the rants about water leaks, handling, etc. We've had no such problems and I'm not aware of those being common issues.

Having said all that, we owned a Forest River trailer for many years and loved it. The FR3 hadn't come out when we bought the ACE, but we definitely would add the FR3 to the list now. My instinct is that the features of the ACE would still prevail for our particular preferences, but your mileage may vary.

I'm sure you'd be quite happy with either. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Skip

Post script.

We took a 2nd look at the FR3. It was a little underwhelming the 2nd time around. But as you said, even with the Thor, given the "market" for these RV's, the interior fit and finish is very basic (chintzy).

FR3 is still in the running, but we are looking at used 2009/2010 Georgetown 350 TS or Coachman Mirada 350DS. However, that is a bit of search for the specific floor plan. Will need to fly to take a look.

berklaw wrote:
Post script.

We took a 2nd look at the FR3. It was a little underwhelming the 2nd time around. But as you said, even with the Thor, given the "market" for these RV's, the interior fit and finish is very basic (chintzy).

Not to be rude, but new "Entry level" coaches are about $60k - $100k ish... Do you expect to find granite counter tops, hardwood or tile floors and other high-end furnishings on a new coach in that price range ($60k - $100k ish)? :h

If you want high-end furnishings in that price range, try a 10 year old (or older) diesel pusher :R

You might want to check out the Forest River Owners Group forum for a lot of info on the FR3. I can tell you that I have been very impressed with Forest River as a company. They have taken care of every issue we have encountered, which, granted, hasn't been many, but even those out of warranty.

As you plan to full time check the OCCC (occupant and cargo carrying capacity). A guy in an RV park where we were staying had what I think was a ACE 30 footer and had very little CCC.
Here is a post I made some time back that be of interest to you.

"Something you need to be aware of.
Many full timers find that they need at least 1500 pounds of cargo carrying capacity (CCC) for each adult. The CCC or the newer designation OCCC will be on a sticker somewhere in the motor home - usually in a cabinet or closet.

You can see the definition of CCC HERE, and OCCC HERE.
Scroll down to "2009 New weight label" and download the pdf file.


To get CCC subtract the weight of water you will carry and the weight of the people you will carry from the OCCC.

It is common to see CCC numbers as low as a few hundred pounds (even on diesel pushers) which means it would be overloaded for weekend trips and unusable for full timing.

We have 2800 pounds of CCC and would like to have 3500. We started with a 30 footer with no slides and after a year traded it in on a new 35 footer with two slides."

We have a 30.1, and love it. We knew going in that it was an entry level MH, and don't expect high-dollar amenities. It does what it was designed for very well. I enjoy driving it and we have had flawless operations on all systems so far. We do have two small warranty issues - one is re-aligning the hinge for the larger TV and the other is a small chip in the divider door that I may just glue back in myself.

We did get a wheel alignment after loading it for use, as recommended by both Ford and Thor, and it did make a difference in the handling.

We solved the toilet height issue with a simple platform stool. I fit at 5'10", but DW is 5'6" (really 5'5", but don't tell her I told you), and needed the stool.

Having said that, the warranty in most of the entry level units specify that the warranty is void if it is lived in full time.
PM me if you want more info.