Forum Discussion

iquilt888's avatar
iquilt888
Explorer
May 27, 2013

Winnebago vs Thor vs Fleetwood

I currently have a 5th wheel and am looking at purchasing a used, moderately small, 28-30ish, gas class A.
I have looked at the construction specs for the Winnebago but have not been able to find exactly what I am looking for for the other two mh in the running.
I'm getting way too old to be climbing on the roof to treat/clean a rubber roof. With that said, I've been advised that the only mh with the fiberglass roof, which supposedly has less need for maintenance, is that made by Winnebago. Does anyone have a different opinion?
In a trailer/5th wheel the Thor is well made, from what I can see, but is extremely heavy. Thoughts about mhs made by Thor?
I have absolutely no knowledge of the fleetwood whatsoever.
My must or really wants are counter space in the kitchen, the Winnebago lacks this; prefer no carpet except in the bedroom; at least two slides which give, if nothing else, the illusion of more space.
Any help anyone can supply will be greatly appreciated.
Class A
  • bsinmich's avatar
    bsinmich
    Explorer
    May 28, 2013
    I'm partial to Newmar quality. They are family owned and were never in any financial problems. Being Amish they have no debt. You see many of thei9ir workers arriving on bicycles in the mornings.
  • xctraveler's avatar
    xctraveler
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    As a former Fleetwood (Southwind) owner with 8 years and 110,000 miles I would be cautious about working with Fleetwood as their financial situation is in the hands of an investment partnership, all they see are $$$. My first coach was Damon (Thor) and frankly I would not own another.

    When shopping for our current coach I got down to Winnebago and Tiffin. As you can see in the signature, Tiffin won, more due to salesman's behavior than any other reason. We love the coach and Tiffin has been great to us. They make a 28foot Breeze diesel pusher and the Allegro RED that are very nice and their gassers all appear to be as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either manufacturer, both have been in business for more than 30 years without a bankruptcy or change of ownership and both have excellent reputations for taking care of owners as long as the coach is on the road.
  • Pirate1's avatar
    Pirate1
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    If I could, I would pick Winny for this one particular reason: They easily have all their plans, prints, and diagrams online for easy access. Try and get that from Thor!!!!
  • bsinmich's avatar
    bsinmich
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    I don't go on my roof either and it is not fiberglass. My MH is now 10 years old and there is still another 3 years warranty left on the roof Brite-Tek material. All roofs willneed some care at seams and a fiberglass roof still has joints where things go through the roof. You will need to do some checks but not every 6 months. My SIL or Son get up that high for me every year.
  • luvlabs's avatar
    luvlabs
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    I think your list needs to be modified. My list for gassers would be Tiffin, Newmar, and Winnebago. Those seem to be the best built with the best factory support.
  • Jackha1949's avatar
    Jackha1949
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    I don't think you can go wrong with a Winnebago/Itasca MH. I am on my second and love the MH. I prefer a DP, however, my FIL is on his third gas Adventurer and has had great luck with them. I recently looked at the new Winnebago Vista and a 34' Adventurer and they looked really nice. Winnebago has been in business for over 50 years so they must be doing something right. I have also been to the factory in Forest City and it is amazing to watch how these MHs are put together. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
  • gone2dadesert's avatar
    gone2dadesert
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    iquilt888 wrote:
    Thoughts about mhs made by Thor?


    I like my Thor, it meets my needs for my amount of usage. If I was in the market again, I'd consider another Thor product.


    Good luck with your search.
  • exioum's avatar
    exioum
    Explorer
    May 27, 2013
    iquilt888 wrote:
    I currently have a 5th wheel and am looking at purchasing a used, moderately small, 28-30ish, gas class A.
    I have looked at the construction specs for the Winnebago but have not been able to find exactly what I am looking for for the other two mh in the running.
    I'm getting way too old to be climbing on the roof to treat/clean a rubber roof. With that said, I've been advised that the only mh with the fiberglass roof, which supposedly has less need for maintenance, is that made by Winnebago. Does anyone have a different opinion?
    In a trailer/5th wheel the Thor is well made, from what I can see, but is extremely heavy. Thoughts about mhs made by Thor?
    I have absolutely no knowledge of the fleetwood whatsoever.
    My must or really wants are counter space in the kitchen, the Winnebago lacks this; prefer no carpet except in the bedroom; at least two slides which give, if nothing else, the illusion of more space.
    Any help anyone can supply will be greatly appreciated.


    Look into a Airstream Land Yacht. The quality is outstanding, but most only have one slide in the size/gas your looking for.
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    May 27, 2013
    Our 2000 30' Hurricane (Thor) which we have owned for a bit over two years has done well for what we use it for. It is however, one of the lower end products out there. While there are many outside storage bays they are odd sized and don't hold much. The interior build quality is adequate but not great. Thor does make some higher line units but given the choice I'd choose Winnebago even though I've seen plenty of Winnebago's with issues.

About Motorhome Group

38,706 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 01, 2025