2009 newmar bay star vs a 2016 thor

[Rayinxs]

I’m looking into purchasing a 2009 newmar bay star but another dealer has showed me a 2016 Thor same length. The cost seems to be similar of course the newer model Thor costs a bit more but I’m being told that the 2009 newmar bay star is a much better coach regardless of the age difference. Do you all agree with this? The offer is the 2009 bay star priced at 49,000.00. What do you think?

[mfredm]

offer the dealer 42k, he'll take it. resale right now on 2009-2011 baystars is around 50k. they are hot cause they drive nice and out west they have big ground clearance so you can in and out of state parks

[mfredm]

i bought a 2010 baystar down in florida 4 months ago and have put over 4k miles on it. got it for 45k. nothing has gone wrong or broken, outside of bulbs burning out, and minor stuff that was my fault. my brother inlaw worked at camping world and they took a brand new thor for the weekend and it crapped out on the road home. newmar is quality all the way.

[PastorCharlie]

way2roll wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Rayinxs wrote:
Lol ??

I think Tom/Barb is serious.

You betcha! the Thor continually wanders you can't take your attention off it for a second. It's very sensitive to the condition of the road, when you hit a pot hole, every thing in the coach rattles. With the engine up front makes the cabin noise very loud, stand on it on a hill and you need ear plugs.

to the OP, please take wide brush statements like this with a grain of salt. First, all gassers (well all the new and most of the legacy) are on the F53 chassis - regardless of brand. So to say "thor wanders" is misleading and I'm being kind. Since they all have the same chassis and engine you can have wander and engine noise in ANY brand. Secondly, who knows what's not set up right on a particular unit. The proper PSI alone could solve a lot of wandering and road feedback. These things are not Thor specific. Add to that, Tom/Barb have a DP, which is a completely different animal in terms of handling and engine noise. You are comparing apples to basketballs.

All F53 chassis are not the same. Each model year has several different F53 chassis.

[Dale_Traveling]

I enjoy every minute while on the road in my late model Thor Hurricane but passing up slightly older Bay Star would be nearly impossible.

[Bruce_Brown]

way2roll wrote:
Be wary of brand bashing especially when doesn't come from real world experience. Thor makes more motorhomes than anyone else so the complaint volumes are relative. Newmar manufactures far less by comparison. My first 2 motorhomes were Thor and had very little problems with either and found their customer service to be stellar. I was assigned a personal concierge to handle any issues that did arise. We loved both of those motorhomes and felt both were worth what I paid. I sold them both privately and came nearly clean on each deal. I have been through a few Bay stars and the famed Newmar quality escaped me. One was as a show and it was abysmal. Bin doors not square and wouldn't stay securely closed, no slide toppers, no famed Amish cabinetry (unless the Amish build veneer coated stapled cabinets), Blinds not securely fastened to the wall and thus pulling out, corner trim not securely stapled, the list went on but you get the point. All I heard prior to that was how great Newmar was, frankly I walked away scratching my head. Another thought, neither of these units have a warranty so customer service is a moot point and both are old enough to have any bugs worked out. Pick which one you like best and the floorplan that suits. If people really looked at things objectively you probably can't tell much difference in build quality. They both have the same chassis, same appliances, same AC, etc. I've always told people, ignore what everyone tells you and walk through units at a show ignoring what brand they are and see if you can conclude what brand you are in. I would bet dollars to donuts most people can't. At the level you are looking there simply isn't a lot of difference to buy on brand alone.

This post will follow with a piling on of rebuttals but separate those from real world experience and not hearsay and personal opinions. Also, visit Thor and newmar forums. I think you'll find very similar complaints when comparing like models.

Well...we own a Newmar motorhome, our 3rd one so far, and up until last Fall we also owned a Thor travel trailer, so I have experience with both brands.

For my money, I'll stick with a Newmar every time.

As far as build, take a look at the structure of each and get back to us.

[scbwr]

I hope the OP isn't too overwelmed by these posts. I suggest that the OP do a lot of reading about the Ford f53 chassis and that there are many things that can be done to make them more stable on the road. Of course a diesel pusher has a lot of advantages. But there are many happy owners of gas powered motorhomes. If the OP is comparing gas motorhomes, I think you can quickly learn to see differences in construction and quality.

I agree with the importance of maintenance records and prior usage. If I had found a Fleetwood Bounder that was in mint condition with good records,
I very well may have purchased it if I felt I could be happy with the overall quality.

Different jokes for different folks! The shopper just has to do their homework and realize that for every manufacturer there will be happy and unhappy owners.

[Tom_Barb]

way2roll wrote:
I do have real world experience and know what I am talking about.

After reading that you'd think I bought the first coach I saw.
3 year search, doing my home work, testing/ driving many coaches big and small.

And it ain't the only one on the market.

[MetalGator]

I've definitely had some quality issues with our Thor product but Thor customer service has been awesome. I am out of warranty and I just called the other day to get the serial number of our furnace. They always pickup the phone and answer any question I have.

[way2roll]

Tom/Barb wrote:

way2roll wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
One must remember Thor's top of the line, compares with Newmar's entry level coach.

Look I know you have a Newmar, but this is one of the more ridiculous posts I've seen. There's nothing remotely factual about it. If you can't offer objective and helpful advice at least get off the brand bashing bandwagon.

You must have a Thor,, and bashing is kin to slapping your girl friend. Sorry But I have my Opinion.

I don't have a Thor, I've had a thor among a few other brands so I do have real world experience and know what I am talking about. Your opinion as it seems is pretty far off base - and that's my opinion.

And what's with the comment about slapping your girlfriend? That's just weird and creepy. But seems to fall in line with your other "advice".

To the OP - I hope you are getting a clear picture of what to take as good advice and what to ignore. It might be helpful to know exactly what you are looking for and what your budget is. A certain floorplan, how you will use it, how often etc.

[way2roll]

"My best advice for the OP is to step up to a better class of coach than either of the ones being compared."

Well the OP mentioned $49k. so...

[Tom_Barb]

way2roll wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
One must remember Thor's top of the line, compares with Newmar's entry level coach.

Look I know you have a Newmar, but this is one of the more ridiculous posts I've seen. There's nothing remotely factual about it. If you can't offer objective and helpful advice at least get off the brand bashing bandwagon.

You must have a Thor,, and bashing is kin to slapping your girl friend. Sorry But I have my Opinion.

[Tom_Barb]

way2roll wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
One must remember Thor's top of the line, compares with Newmar's entry level coach.

Look I know you have a Newmar, but this is one of the more ridiculous posts I've seen. There's nothing remotely factual about it. If you can't offer objective and helpful advice at least get off the brand bashing bandwagon and stick to factual and helpful information.

You bet, !
how do you rationalize the poor coach work of the Thor ? Coach work means every thing to the owner, it is what they touch and look at and deal with every day. Newmar's coach work is one of the bast, even their entry level are far superior to Thor's best.
You are correct, there is no comparison between my 18 year old Newmar Mountain Aire and any entry level coach. Diesel pusher coaches are a class by them selves.

My best advice for the OP is to step up to a better class of coach than either of the ones being compared. The F-35 chassis has a "I" beam front suspension which is very prone to wandering on rutted highways, just like the trucks because the F-35 is a truck chassis. Independent front suspension makes all the difference in handling. Plus Newmar's comfort steering there is no comparison.

[way2roll]

Tom/Barb wrote:
One must remember Thor's top of the line, compares with Newmar's entry level coach.

Look I know you have a Newmar, but this is one of the more ridiculous posts I've seen. There's nothing remotely factual about it. If you can't offer objective and helpful advice at least get off the brand bashing bandwagon.

[way2roll]

Tom/Barb wrote:

gbopp wrote:

Rayinxs wrote:
Lol ??

I think Tom/Barb is serious.

You betcha! the Thor continually wanders you can't take your attention off it for a second. It's very sensitive to the condition of the road, when you hit a pot hole, every thing in the coach rattles. With the engine up front makes the cabin noise very loud, stand on it on a hill and you need ear plugs.

to the OP, please take wide brush statements like this with a grain of salt. First, all gassers (well all the new and most of the legacy) are on the F53 chassis - regardless of brand. So to say "thor wanders" is misleading and I'm being kind. Since they all have the same chassis and engine you can have wander and engine noise in ANY brand. Secondly, who knows what's not set up right on a particular unit. The proper PSI alone could solve a lot of wandering and road feedback. These things are not Thor specific. Add to that, Tom/Barb have a DP, which is a completely different animal in terms of handling and engine noise. You are comparing apples to basketballs.

[Tom_Barb]

gbopp wrote:

Rayinxs wrote:
Lol ??

I think Tom/Barb is serious.

You betcha! the Thor continually wanders you can't take your attention off it for a second. It's very sensitive to the condition of the road, when you hit a pot hole, every thing in the coach rattles. With the engine up front makes the cabin noise very loud, stand on it on a hill and you need ear plugs.