Newbie needs advice on buying

[wstevenson94]

My wife and I are going to purchase our first motorhome. We have narrowed it down to three possible choices that fit our budget. Forest River FR3, Coachman Pursuit 31BDP or the Thor ACE 30.1. If any of you experienced RVers out there can share any information as to which one would be the better purchased it will be greatly appreciated. The prices we have been given on the three are extremely close so that will not be an issue. Thank you very much for any advice or suggestions you can get.

[CW5DJSRES]

if you can find a slightly used Tiffin, i would take a hard look at it. I purchased a 2006 34 Foot model and I am very pleased with it. It is my first MH. Right size, good MPG for a MH, and very easy to drive.

[wstevenson94]

Thanks everyone for your comments. We have decided to give the Coachman a try.

[timmac]

I have not heard of very many happy Thor owners..

Not to change your buying plans but have you looked at Fleetwood yet, they have always been good to me, but can't say much about the new company that owns Fleetwood since 2009, but before 2009 they were good quality RV's.

[Finally_Time]

Don't know about the others on your list but I took a loss and traded my 3 month old Thor ACE 27.1 for a Winnebago Vista. I wasn't happy about loosing money but I was happy to see the ACE go. I guess that gives you an idea of what I think of Thor's quality. With the ACE I had multiple water leaks, trim pulling off the body, one pocket door pulled off the rollers and jammed blocking the bedroom, and those are just the high points. The handeling was horible; wandered all over the road, bounced around, rattles, jolts, and this was even after an alignment, CHF (cheap handeling fix), tire pressure adjustment, and four corner weighing and load adjustment. If you are go through an ACE just for fun try out the throne. Unless you're over 6 feet, your toes will barely touch the floor. P.S. I love the Winnebago. Absolutely no problems right off the lot. It handles well with no adjustments or modifications, great fit and finish, lots of storage, and great floor plan.

[Sully2]

West Beachhouse wrote:
I looked at the Forest River FR3, I would have concerns as there are NO bedside tables. I do not know about most of you reading this post, I wear glasses, enjoy coffee in bed early on a cold morning, like having a flashlight nearby and certainly a good book. For those of you who purchase rigs without a bedside table, how do you do it?

West Beachhouse

Someone has to get out of bed to make the coffee ( or at least fill the cup) so I just sit in my recliner and sip coffee and / or read books; look at TV; see whats stirring out of doors...etc.

No side tables at bedside should NOT be a show stopper

[tropical36]

wstevenson94 wrote:
My wife and I are going to purchase our first motorhome. We have narrowed it down to three possible choices that fit our budget. Forest River FR3, Coachman Pursuit 31BDP or the Thor ACE 30.1. If any of you experienced RVers out there can share any information as to which one would be the better purchased it will be greatly appreciated. The prices we have been given on the three are extremely close so that will not be an issue. Thank you very much for any advice or suggestions you can get.

Sounds like you are buying new with these choices and all will come with a warranty, along with issues, so be prepared for a lot of pain and suffering along the way. Just MHO of course and it's only worth what you're paying for it. I like buying the upper lines of tried and proven used (not abused) and doing my own work in most cases. The others, I sub out to reputable people for a reasonable price and so far I'm about $100K ahead, when you take depreciation per mile into consideration.
Others will answer your specific question, so just thought I'd throw this in for thinking outside of the box.

[Heisenberg]

Winnebago offers models in that price range.

[JimM68]

All three are very entry level. All three should get the job done.
None will be stellar

[blknomad]

I'm with Mike brez go look ar winneybago- Itasca coaches. I just bought a 2014 Itasca and only problem was squeak in slide seal and fireplace problem which was solved within days. First trip to Maine came home reloaded then to Alabama. All this since Aug 27.

[Effy]

My pick would be Thor, Coachmen and FR. The FR3 is a total copy of the ACE. Down to the bunk, mudroom and even the grill for crying out loud. But they missed a lot of things you may not notice you need. No bedside tables for crying out loud, and fit and finish is VERY entry level. Lots more so than the ACE. I have 2 ACES and I can say nary a major problem with either and THOR has astounding customer service. Great road manners, full towing capacity, nice power to weight and tons of storage. Aside from no bedside tables in the FR3, I couldn't get over all the paneling. Looks like my grandmothers basement. A nice jackalope on the wall is the only missing element. I know FR3's are flying off the shelf but they are new, copied and Thor has worked out the kinks. As far as coachmen, I have walked through a few, they are OK but no real experience with them.

[West_Beachhouse]

I looked at the Forest River FR3, I would have concerns as there are NO bedside tables. I do not know about most of you reading this post, I wear glasses, enjoy coffee in bed early on a cold morning, like having a flashlight nearby and certainly a good book. For those of you who purchase rigs without a bedside table, how do you do it?

West Beachhouse

[wnytaxman]

Assuming the floor plans and specs are close, I would have to agree that Forest River would be first followed by Coachmen and then Thor. We've been very pleased with the help and response of Forest River.

[mike_brez]

wstevenson94 wrote:
My wife and I are going to purchase our first motorhome. We have narrowed it down to three possible choices that fit our budget. Forest River FR3, Coachman Pursuit 31BDP or the Thor ACE 30.1. If any of you experienced RVers out there can share any information as to which one would be the better purchased it will be greatly appreciated. The prices we have been given on the three are extremely close so that will not be an issue. Thank you very much for any advice or suggestions you can get.

If those are the choices....
#1. Forest River
#2. Coachman
#3. Thor

Have you looked at any Winnebago products?

[Dick_B]

To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject
(http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=710&m=2) and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice that can be instantly downloaded from www.rvbookstore.com.