Gjac wrote:
From what I see most of these smaller C's get about 10 mpgs with the V-10's don't know if 45 more HP in the newer eng will do better but should be much better performance on hills.
The Thor/Axis have the lowest coeffecient of drag of any motorhome. That's what allows them to use a Class 3 (E350) chassis, which has a stricter carbon-emissions limit than the Class 4 chassis. Ford and Thor went through a lot to optimize that sloped front windshield.
Also, the extra power of the new 7.3L is more than the 45 hp on paper might suggest, because the V10 was only chassis certified, and the new engine is dyo certified. For claims both methods are tuned the same, and only the test method differs. The same motor in the F-series is rated at 430 hp using the chassis method. The simplest way to describe the test methods is chassis dyno certified = best load case (no EGR, fan off, A/C off, minimal alternator load etc) and the dyno certified is worst case (will EGR, engine fan maximum engagements, max load of all front-end accessories).
But.... as others have mentioned... Thor's QA program leaves a lot to be desired. Do a very thorough inspection before you buy. You might find some build-quality differences between the same units on the same lot.