Thor Ace 30.2 or jayco Greyhawk 31fs

We don't own either but did look at the ACE the year it was introduced. At first glance it looked awesome! So many cool features and nifty gadgets then we opened the drawers and cabinets. Hopefully, the quality of the ACE has improved since then. It seems a lot of people as really happy with their ACE now.

We also looked at a Jayco Greyhawk about the same time and from what I remember, the Greyhawk seemed to be a higher quality unit at that time which was in 2011.

With the Class A gasser, you have the engine under your feet and believe me, it is noisy and HOT. You'll have a pretty big window which is nice for sight seeing. The front seats become part of the living area in a Class A which is also a plus.

We had a 29' G'town Class A and it was a challenge to keep on the road at times. Semi's pushed and pulled us. We were thrown around by uneven roads & we don't want to talk about crosswinds. Part of that may have been the smaller tires on the G'town. I *think* I remember the ACE having 22.5" tires which would help some.

Sorry, I can't be more help!

Good luck with your search and keep us posted on your decision.

wow, tough one. Jayco is an excellent brand with good build quality and great features. But I generally wouldn't go near a 30 foot plus Ford e450 based motorhome, just not enough CCC on a 14,000 lb chassis.

The Ace is one of those new wave tiny A's, on a decent F53 chassis. Unfortunately, it's still a Thor, and unlike the other recent post, no mention here about not bashing Thor.

I wish I could think of a nice alternative? I think both Winnie and Fleetwood are making smallish A's now, both are decent brands. If you wanna look used, Jayco Seneca's are 34-36 feet, on a very capable Chevy 5500 chassis with duramax diesel. Prices on these now should be down to reasonable.

If buying new, I think Thor has ironed out most of it's problems. Well at least those that I read about, mine does not have.
I can honestly say a class c will be hotter than an a above the doghouse. The a sets higher and allows more air to flow. At least that has been our experience. We have driven our a for the past month in pretty warm 80+ temps and we have had the a/c on the first level of the dial and felt cold.
With a choice of the two from experience I would never pick a class c over an a. I know that is batting a hornets nest. But there is not one thing I can think was better about our c. A class a has been a better experience(for us) in every way.

I liked the build quality of the Jayco, it has adjustable seats for the driver which is a huge plus for me, I've heard the Thor seats become painful after a couple of hours driving. They are both similar in price, that is a hard choice, I put a deposit on a Thor ACE 30.2 a few months back but changed my mind and bought a Winnebago Vista 35b, what sold me was the adjustable driver seat, thus far very happy with purchase.

I think Jayco's have a 2 yr warranty....that's a swing point..at least for me.

smacdiesel wrote:
I liked the build quality of the Jayco, it has adjustable seats for the driver which is a huge plus for me, I've heard the Thor seats become painful after a couple of hours driving. They are both similar in price, that is a hard choice, I put a deposit on a Thor ACE 30.2 a few months back but changed my mind and bought a Winnebago Vista 35b, what sold me was the adjustable driver seat, thus far very happy with purchase.

Not sure I understand this. ACE has an adjustable driver's seat. :h

I should have been more specific, I meant power adjustable driver seat.

We have a 2013 30.1 and love it. We've found the build quality and fit/finish to be fine. We've had a few nits here and there, but nothing major and certainly nothing that would dissuade me from the brand. (People complain about all brands and I try not to let perennial grumps influence my purchasing decisions.) The biggest problem we've had is that the Jensen TV failed, but frankly I was glad and replaced it with a Vizio. That was a couple hundred dollars. The ACE 30.1 layout is perfect (for us--YMMV), fuel economy is good (average 8.5 mpg, 7.7 pulling the toad), towing performance is acceptable, driveability is excellent, on-road comfort is excellent, etc. I note there have been some complaints about generator noise--we haven't noticed that problem. We are doing the usual number of modifications and customizations, mostly because we're incurable tinkerers, but you'll probably find your own list of little changes you'll make. You get the idea. All things considered, the Thor ACE is just fine for us.

One other point to consider--Thor customer/technical support is stellar. We've been RV'ing for over 30 years and had lots of contacts with manufacturer's reps, and Thor is by far the best. Thor even assigns you a "concierge" when you buy the unit who will check in a couple times during the first few months to make sure you're happy! I've called technical support a couple times (the most recent one just this week as I worked through the BCC recall), and I'm amazed at the courtesy and diligence I've seen. What a pleasure.

There do seem to be a fair number of complaints about build quality. As to such things, I'd be careful about such judgments. It's hard to get a valid evaluation of quality from reading online anecdotal reports, and it's definitely impossible from a personal inspection of a few units. If you haven't been following it, the worst nightmare I've read recently about shameful quality control and manufacturer indifference (even vindictiveness) pertained to a $400,000 Winnebago! (See here.) FWIW, I'd think that the best way to address potential quality concerns is on the basis of a specific unit: do a thorough pre-delivery inspection, go over all of the major systems, insist on major items being right, and then keep a happy disposition and even temperament for the little nits as they crop up. Of course, that advice and a $1.50 will buy you a cup of coffee.

Having said that, I've heard very good things about the Jayco. And there a similar Forest River unit (called an "FR3," I think). We had a Forest River trailer and thought it was great unit. You probably can't go wrong with any of these units.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or if there's any other information I can provide. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

Whatever the wife wants is what you want.....anything else is a recipe for disastrous. Logic has no bearing on their thought process.

I suggest you stand in the shower and see if you fit. Nothing worse than not being able to take a comfortable shower. Also, (not to be crass) sit on the toilet and check the room you have. Bathrooms are a favorite place manufacturers use to save space,