Hi all,We are a family of 4, and my two girls are 12 &9. We had a 2018 jayco whitehawk 29BH for 2 years and sold it a year ago but now find ourselves living in Utah this year. Military move in April 2021. We are back in the market for a camper but we are leaning towards an affordable class A with bunks.I know NOTHiNG about class As. Budget is under $90k which seems very doable for low mileage used ones.Been doing a lot of research and there seem to be floor plans with a queen or king bedroom in the back and also have bunks too. Mainly been looking at the Thor ACE 30.2. Any others you recommend?Any tips from anyone I should think about? I know my whitehawk was in 5 or 6 times for warranty work so I want to be as selective as possible in now ensuring that I get one that has a good reputation for quality..Is the 6.8 v10 a good engine?

You may have better luck finding bunks or a similar arrangement if you look for a class C rather than a class A. Very generally speaking, class A's are frequently designed for a (retired?) couple, while class C's more frequently for a family. That is of course a generalization and not always true, but the trend is there; and it is more pronounced for diesel pusher class A's.The ACE is not a high-end motorhome by any stretch, but if you get a used one (so any initial manufacturing defects/warranty work has been taken care of) that's been well-cared for and is in good condition, it ought to be reasonably reliable and sound, at least not really worse than any comparable model--nor likely to be much better, for that matter.The Ford 6.8 V10 engine is a very reliable engine, and runs smoothly. It tends to be high-revving as truck engines go, and probably seems a bit more so than it is since it has two more cylinders than most, but if you let it go it produces sufficient power and will do acceptably well keeping up with traffic on the highways. It does tend to be a bit on the thirsty side. For a gas powered class A motorhome, you don't have a whole lot of engine or chassis options, to put it mildly.If you do get bunk beds, make sure they are long enough for however tall your daughters are likely to be in a couple years. Many RV bunk beds are pretty short.

I had a Thor ACE 29.3 for a season and a half. Traded as we found out it did not have enough storage for extended trips. Heres my thoughts, yes the ACE is rated as a starter MH. With that being said all of the components i.e. frig, stove, plumbing are the same in it as in all other MH. Its the workman ship that leave alot to be desired.These are my neg. comments about the ACE. The black tank was only 29gal and the bath sink drained into it. This caused the tank to need emptying very often. It also was plumbed that a 90 angle was at the bottom of toilet so everything had to turn right away. This caused a poop mountain at the base of the toilet.I always had a problem with the water supply getting to the bath side of the camper. My kitchen was on the long slide as was the water inlet. For some reason the water line to the bath would kink, never did solve the problem. Dollars for dollars the ACE was a good unit, drove nice enough power to deal with mountains. Things I would look at, storage inside cause not much outside. The large room slide can become problems make sure it works and learn about how to work it. Its important to keep the motors insink.Good Luck safe travels

Many manufacturers of gas class A motorhomes have offered models with bunk floorplans over the past 10-15 years. Take a look at the Winnebago Vista 35B. It’s nice in that it has a bath and a half. Your daughters are getting to an age where you will appreciate that. There are usually used ones available well within your price range.

DrewE wrote:You may have better luck finding bunks or a similar arrangement if you look for a class C rather than a class A. Very generally speaking, class A's are frequently designed for a (retired?) couple, while class C's more frequently for a family. That is of course a generalization and not always true, but the trend is there; and it is more pronounced for diesel pusher class A's.This is not true. Perhaps 15 years ago that might have been the case, but not now. There is an entire segment of entry and mid level Class A's for families and each brand usually has a few bunk models some with bath and a half designs. To the OP, being a former ACE owner I wouldn't look there. They are great little entry level MH's but if you are looking for quality, you probably want to start further up the food chain. $90k is a healthy budget and I am sure you can find something like a Winnie a few years old in that price range. That said, if you are just looking for a weekender you can save a lot of cash on a used ACE. but if you are going to spend any sort of time in it and want quality I would look elsewhere.

We have owned our Winnebago Sightseer 35J (bunkbed model) Class A since fall of 2006 and it's been a great rig for our family and still with our kids having moved out. I see the various years of the 35J listed online at pretty decent prices. We only had a coupe issues; fridge and converter both died under warranty and were replaces/upgraded. One thing I appreciate about the Winnebago line up is the detailed owners manual and the fact you can still download manuals as well as plumbing & electrical diagrams.

Motor coach with bunks recommendations for family

AllegroD
Nomad
Sep 05, 2021
Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA & 36UA.
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 05, 2021
So after more and more research, we are still torn.

Are the Winnebago class C Minnie winnies decent quality?

We are looking at the 31K. Seems to be a nice setup.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Sep 03, 2021
I also have a Georgetown, a2012 350TS. Has 3 slides with bunks. The build quality is great. Georgetown is a mid level MH. Definitely stay away from the entry level class A’s…..imagine driving an entry level TT down the road!

I agree, Winnebago, Tiffin, Georgetown, and even the Bounder are good choices.
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 02, 2021
We are really looking at the tiffin allegro red open road 38 qbh. Has bunks. We are looking at years 2011-2016 and they are very nice and seem very well built.

May be making an offer on a 2011 allegro red 38qbh that I went and looked it.
They are asking $125k. Has 54k miles.
Alex_and_Tee
Explorer
Sep 02, 2021
Tiffin Open Road 36 UA. King Bed, Bunks, 1 1/2 Bath.
Dave_in_TN
Nomad
Sep 02, 2021
jlrmfc21 wrote:
way2roll wrote:
jlrmfc21 wrote:
Thank you all for the info! I did notice that the THOR AcE reviews were not good at all. The last thing I want is for it to be in the shop all the time!

So it seems that the general consensus is that the Winnebagos are the best quality for the money? Any other brands you recommend?

I would say Winnebago and perhaps Georgetown only because Tiffin and Newmar don't seem to offer much in the way of bunk floorplans. Thor owns Tiffin now and Winnie owns Newmar anyway.

Like Thor, I would probably pass over Coachmen and Jayco, but that's just my opinion. Winnie makes a pretty decent coach in terms of quality and fit and finish.

Thor does have many other offerings besides the ACE. However even moving up the ladder to their mid tier offerings, I still find the quality sub-par to Winnie. But as with most things, you get what you pay for. The ACE and most other Thors are cheaper than other brands, so it goes back to how much and what you will use it for. Maybe you want to save some coin and get a cheaper RV. That's why there is a market for them.

After all of the comments, I'm leaning towards winnebagos or even the georgetown; and am even looking at higher end models now like Newmars.

From what it sounds liek though, I'd be better off even buying a 10 year old NEWMAR than brand new cheaper/lower build quality models. Is that a true statement? Seems like I could always upgrade different items on the interior to make it feel newer?

THANKS AGAIN for all the input!

IF you can find a clean used unit that has been properly maintained, then I'd agree you might get better quality going with something built before the last several years. Carefully ensure the roof and seams have been maintained, and that there has been no water intrusion, delamination, etc. Also ask to see maintenance records for the drivetrain/chassis, and ensure the tires, even if tread looks good, aren't too old (less than 5 years ideally) by checking the DOT codes on the sidewalls. If the maintenance checks out, then upgrading outdated decor can actually be enjoyable, and you will get something of good quality that is personalized to your tastes.
jlrmfc21
Explorer
Sep 02, 2021
way2roll wrote:
jlrmfc21 wrote:
Thank you all for the info! I did notice that the THOR AcE reviews were not good at all. The last thing I want is for it to be in the shop all the time!

So it seems that the general consensus is that the Winnebagos are the best quality for the money? Any other brands you recommend?

I would say Winnebago and perhaps Georgetown only because Tiffin and Newmar don't seem to offer much in the way of bunk floorplans. Thor owns Tiffin now and Winnie owns Newmar anyway.

Like Thor, I would probably pass over Coachmen and Jayco, but that's just my opinion. Winnie makes a pretty decent coach in terms of quality and fit and finish.

Thor does have many other offerings besides the ACE. However even moving up the ladder to their mid tier offerings, I still find the quality sub-par to Winnie. But as with most things, you get what you pay for. The ACE and most other Thors are cheaper than other brands, so it goes back to how much and what you will use it for. Maybe you want to save some coin and get a cheaper RV. That's why there is a market for them.

After all of the comments, I'm leaning towards winnebagos or even the georgetown; and am even looking at higher end models now like Newmars.

From what it sounds liek though, I'd be better off even buying a 10 year old NEWMAR than brand new cheaper/lower build quality models. Is that a true statement? Seems like I could always upgrade different items on the interior to make it feel newer?

THANKS AGAIN for all the input!
willald
Explorer II
Sep 02, 2021
I just traded in a few weeks ago, our 2012 Georgetown 351DS with bunks that was an awesome unit, and served us great for 9 years. Now own a smaller Newmar (see signature), as kids no longer camp with us, and could no longer fit in the bunks, anyway.

I would agree with the previous comments about avoiding units like the ACE that have questionable build quality. One thing I learned over the years with the Georgetown is that you really, really do get what you pay for when it comes to RVs. There's a lot of units out there that ain't built too well. If you can afford a unit like a Tiffin or Winnie (or even Newmar) that is known for better quality, you really should go that route.

And, yes, there are LOTs of Class A options out there with bunkhouse floorplans. Especially ones built in last 10 or 12 years.
way2roll
Navigator II
Sep 01, 2021
jlrmfc21 wrote:
Thank you all for the info! I did notice that the THOR AcE reviews were not good at all. The last thing I want is for it to be in the shop all the time!

So it seems that the general consensus is that the Winnebagos are the best quality for the money? Any other brands you recommend?

I would say Winnebago and perhaps Georgetown only because Tiffin and Newmar don't seem to offer much in the way of bunk floorplans. Thor owns Tiffin now and Winnie owns Newmar anyway.

Like Thor, I would probably pass over Coachmen and Jayco, but that's just my opinion. Winnie makes a pretty decent coach in terms of quality and fit and finish.

Thor does have many other offerings besides the ACE. However even moving up the ladder to their mid tier offerings, I still find the quality sub-par to Winnie. But as with most things, you get what you pay for. The ACE and most other Thors are cheaper than other brands, so it goes back to how much and what you will use it for. Maybe you want to save some coin and get a cheaper RV. That's why there is a market for them.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2021
We have a 2012 Georgetown with the bunks and 3 slides. Plenty of room! Some of the newer bunk models will also have a drop down bed over the driver area.