Help choosing first RV

shanksworthy wrote:

Thanks! Just for fun I tried looking one up on those sites, and the nearest one I could find would be 21 hours drive from here, in Iowa. Also I’m in Canada so I’m not sure what the policy is for importing a TT. TBH I can see the value in going that distance to pick up the TT that I like, but my wife would think that’s outrageous.

Here’s the thing, I’d hate to drive that distance to pick one up only to discover an issue that would require me to get it serviced at the same dealership. But given their stellar reputation, I’d be a bit more willing to take the chance. Has Thor truly “ruined” models newer than 2016? I know they got a rubber roof, but is that really a bad thing? Have you heard of any instances of failure from owners in the forums? Maybe I’ll pop into one of their forums.

People have purchased campers in Canada and brought them into the states so should be the same going the other way. Probably not a big deal because it is a camper, maybe some forms to fill out and obviously taxes to pay in your country.

The rubber roof may not be a huge deal, pretty much all campers have them and the substrate is still Azdel on the LL. My personal opinion is the fiberglass walls and foam floor are the bigger issues, since you can get all of these materials in campers costing thousands less why spend extra for the LL.

The foam floor will eventually compress in high traffic areas and it can't hold any screws. That it is a little warmer in cold weather is a non issue, many people don't camp in cold weather anyway and quite frankly that is what rugs are for. Ultimately the foam floor is a POS change.

thor started changing a lot of other things after 2016 as well, some that I have noticed are thinner tubing and less of it, baggage doors are the common plastic ones, much less Azdel and lots more luan on the inside, leaf springs instead of torsion axles, (although some people prefer leafs it was a cost saving measure as leafs are cheaper) the shower and toilet now both drain into the black tank! and the tank is smaller! 25 gal vs. 32 on mine.

My camper has a Progressive Dynamics intelli-power converter, now thor installs a WFCO. There are just a lot of cost saving changes thor did, which is fine except the price didn't change.

For my dollar I see no reason to buy a later model LL when the earlier ones had better content and materials. Considering also some 17 and 18 models are part of a recall where the drawbar can separate from the trailer frame due to failed welds. IMHO thor builds S*** campers.

As far as the warranty and dealers are concerned, good luck with that for any camper. Wait times can be months, parts might not be available, manufacturer might not cover the repair, the repair not done right, plenty of stories on the forums about this stuff. You are always better just fixing it yourself, you'll do better job and will learn about the camper.

Since you are in Canada have you checked out Taylor Coach? they are old school manufacturing but apparently use quality materials and build them right. They have a loyal following and their campers are lightweight.