Thor Hurricane 34J vs Itasca 35B

[MilesandSmiles]

My wife and I have been shopping for a used motorhome for sometime now, planning to go full-time this summer. It's been a long process!

Right now we are looking at a 2016 Thor Hurricane 34J for about $70,000. We love the floor plan, although we wish the bathroom were larger and the refrigerator were larger.

On the other hand we've been looking at a 2014 Itasca 35B with all the bells and whistles, 4 door refrigerator, etc. for about $90,000. Similar floor plan, although it has the TV in the wrong place, but has 1 1/2 baths.

My question is about the quality of build. The price difference is pretty big. But how about reliability? So, Thor owners, I'm asking you! Have you found that the bargain price = cheap materials and low durability? If we buy the Hurricane will we be regretting it every time the bathroom door jams or a cabinet won't close or a hose splits?

I know that Winnebago/Itasca owners will say the extra money is worth it. But why? What extra are you getting beside the name?

Really appreciate the advice.

Jeff

[rush2112_2112]

You may want to consider the difference in F53 Chassis. If there is a difference then one could offer much more carrying capacity than the other. Also not sure of those models but if one is on 22.5 tires versus 19.5 then the ride will be different.

With that said, we looked at the Hurricane models and liked the layouts, but then we walked into a Tiffin and noticed all the differences immediately. That changed the game for us and we ended up going with a used low mileage Tiffin, and feel we got a WAY better coach for just a few bucks more.

[MrWizard]

I'm not sure "all use the same components" , means the same quality of construction

The same fridge, stove, water heater, furnace,
Has nothing to do with side walls, roof, quality of flooring or cabinets
Or the quality of the workers and the the work

I would get the Itasca , this will be your home, not just a camping vehicle

[usersmanual]

Effy wrote:

usersmanual wrote:
LOL go look at the quality of over all construction;; cabinet construction toliets used ,furniture quality yada yada yada its easy to se why the itaska is 2 years older and 20K more

Less to do with construction and more to do with size, trim level, bath and a half and the 4 door refer. People aren't paying $20k more for better toilets, and the cabinets aren't any better. None of which is worth $20k extra anyway. We are also talking about advertised price and won't really know what FMV is until they are sold. I could advertise my RV $20k more than it's worth all day. It's worth what someone pays when they buy it.

true about the price one can ask and what one gets are two different storys I still believe the itaska is a much much better grade MH

[Effy]

usersmanual wrote:
LOL go look at the quality of over all construction;; cabinet construction toliets used ,furniture quality yada yada yada its easy to se why the itaska is 2 years older and 20K more

Less to do with construction and more to do with size, trim level, bath and a half and the 4 door refer. People aren't paying $20k more for better toilets, and the cabinets aren't any better. None of which is worth $20k extra anyway. We are also talking about advertised price and won't really know what FMV is until they are sold. I could advertise my RV $20k more than it's worth all day. It's worth what someone pays when they buy it.

[usersmanual]

LOL go look at the quality of over all construction;; cabinet construction toliets used ,furniture quality yada yada yada its easy to se why the itaska is 2 years older and 20K more

[skrams]

We have a 2007 Thor Hurricane 34B we bought brand new. We've never had a bathroom door jam or a cabinet that won't close or a hose split. We did have a microwave that was replaced under warranty years ago.

The extra half bath, bigger fridge and tv in the wrong place are not worth $20k to me, I'd go with the Hurricane (based only on what you've written here and my own Hurricane ownership).

[usersmanual]

I would always buy a superior build and finished MH over a entry level model no matter the floor plan but would buy neither if the floor plan was way off
base and keep looking

[wredman]

I wanted to buy a sporty convertible, but bought what I thought was the best truck. That makes no sense to me.



If you got a burr somewhere regarding Thor, fine, just say it, you wont be the first.

[Effy]

usersmanual wrote:

wredman wrote:
just from a shoppers standpoint, I stacked the 2 companies offerings up like this


Axis/Vegas - ACE - Vista/Sunstar - Hurricane/Windsport - Miramar - VistaLX/SunstarLX - Challenger - Sunova/Sightseer

Both have the ranges covered, but head to head for a flighted competition, the nod would go to Winnebago. That is until floorplans were compared, then its an individual choice, for me floorplan was the primary influence.

so you would buy a totally inferior MH just because u liked the floor plan? makes no sense to me

Floor plan is the most critical piece of RV living. Mainly because trying to identify differences in quality at the production level is splitting hairs and very subjective. EVERY manufacturer has issues off the line and many have the same issues. They all use the same components and materials so differences in "quality" are really at the build level which can change based on the time of day an RV rolls off the line. You show me quality issues on one brand, I will show you 10 in another. If you took all the badges off motorhomes in the same price point at a show and walked through them, I would challenge anyone to tell me what brand you were standing in at any given time. Differences in quality has more to do with brand loyalty than the brand itself. So yes, I would choose floor plan first. Quality is a **** shoot no matter what brand you buy. Maybe you get lucky, maybe you don't. But if you try and pick the best quality with a floorplan that you settle for, you'll be trading up sooner than you think for the floorplan you know you need.

[usersmanual]

wredman wrote:
just from a shoppers standpoint, I stacked the 2 companies offerings up like this


Axis/Vegas - ACE - Vista/Sunstar - Hurricane/Windsport - Miramar - VistaLX/SunstarLX - Challenger - Sunova/Sightseer

Both have the ranges covered, but head to head for a flighted competition, the nod would go to Winnebago. That is until floorplans were compared, then its an individual choice, for me floorplan was the primary influence.

so you would buy a totally inferior MH just because u liked the floor plan? makes no sense to me

[wredman]

just from a shoppers standpoint, I stacked the 2 companies offerings up like this


Axis/Vegas - ACE - Vista/Sunstar - Hurricane/Windsport - Miramar - VistaLX/SunstarLX - Challenger - Sunova/Sightseer

Both have the ranges covered, but head to head for a flighted competition, the nod would go to Winnebago. That is until floorplans were compared, then its an individual choice, for me floorplan was the primary influence.

[jpmihalk]

We own a 2016 Thor Hurricane 35C after looking at lots of different models from different manufacturers. Looking at the Thor line, the Hurricane isn't really entry level - the Axis and ACE models are the entry level gas units. In fact, it is very comparable to the previous Itasca Sunflyer Class A gasser that we owned in terms of finish and quality. Of course, this is my opinion... it is subject to interpretation.

[usersmanual]

crasster wrote:
The way I see it is you only know which one to get. Some people are minimalists, some people like to kick back with are their limbs fully extended with plenty of elbow room. Both coaches are similar in quality. If it was me we are more minimalists and like to spread out at campsites so I'd go with whatever is less expensive and keep the extra cash for other things.

there not even close to "similar in quality"

[crasster]

The way I see it is you only know which one to get. Some people are minimalists, some people like to kick back with are their limbs fully extended with plenty of elbow room. Both coaches are similar in quality. If it was me we are more minimalists and like to spread out at campsites so I'd go with whatever is less expensive and keep the extra cash for other things.