Thor Vegas or Forest River FR3

[centralwisconsi]

I'm in the mid-search of shopping/purchasing a new motor home. Strongly considering the 2015 Forest River FR3 25DS or the Thor Vegas 24.1. Any opinions, do you have one and would you buy one again, pro's, con's etc? I've read some things about both; being newer models they seem to have some issues, but seems like some improvements for 2015 over 2014. Any dealings with Thor vs Forest River? The Thor service dealer is about 95 miles and the Forest River about 65.
Pro's that i see for the FR3:
-larger feeling inside, especially with 2 slide-outs
-flooring and finishes, I like them much better
-shower/bathroom are larger
Pro's for the Vegas
-I like the exterior a better
-A little easier to drive with less blindspots
-I little smaller to fit in those tighter spots

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[EricGT]

FWIW, we owned a 26' class C for 3 years for tailgating, concerts, weekend adventures too.
We just 'upgraded' to a 31' ACE. Trust me, thinking "We only need this must space" quickly turns into "I wish we had more space" during a rainy day camping.

I can honestly say there is very little difference between driving a 26' and 31' motorhome. I honestly like driving the class A much more than the C. It is a completely different feeling.

But back on track...if you are ever planning on having anymore than 2 other adults in your home for more than a couple hours you may want to look at something a bit larger.
For us to be able to go back into our living quarters while our guests are out in the house is a huge friendship saver. In fact being able to sit in the captains chairs while the kids are at the booth and our friends are on the sofa makes the living quarters seem more than twice as big as our C.

[blknewfs]

We are new Vegas 24.1 owners. Usual problems w/electrical but fixed by dealer. A HUGE issue for me - I travel alone with dogs - is the sofa sleeper bed. I cannot put it down myself, nor can I pull out/slip up rail/replace cotter pins. In short, the bed does not lie flat unless you do mechanical stuff to it. Anyone else experiencing this problem. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for your help

[centralwisconsi]

Thanks for the feedback Happily Retired 2; I appreciate it! I do realize I'm comparing "apples" to "oranges" but I can't decide between "apples" and "oranges." The ACE simply felt too big (basically looked at every class A under 30,) and the FR3 25DS and Vegas seem to be the best fit for us. We do not want a C; my parents and grandparents have one...just not us. We are in our early 30's so not the typical RV'ers.

Really looking for something to do our weekend/long weekend getaways (probably 15 to 20 weekends a year,)concerts/sporting events, stay at friends cabins (but not be in the cabin) in Northern WI, maybe 2 weeks on the road for a longer summer vacation. I'm torn between a few things - 1)FR3 sleeps/caries more people and on occasional trips it could be 6 people. As pointed out, it's simply a bigger coach. 2)Vegas is better for the smaller weekend trips; ie more maneuverable, better mpg,etc. 3)Both the FR3 and Vegas QA issues concern me; overall if one manufacturer had better quality and less time at the dealer I'd pick that. We both work hectic jobs and less time at the dealer would trump everything. The MH would also be a home office for me while away.

Happily Retired 2 - The FR3 steps also concern us; we have two dogs who are getting up there in age. Could you share the mpg's you are getting and any nagging issues with the Axis(if there are any?) Have you had to deal with Thor on any issues?

There's MH dealer pretty close and I'm going to check with each manufacturer to see if that dealer could service warranty issues. They carry bigger Class A's (Tiffin/Allegro.) It may simply come down to that in the end.

Thanks for all the feedback...:)

[Happily_Retired]

Our Axis occc is 1568, if that helps.

We are at 12,500 and the 25DS is 16,000. The 25DS is over a foot longer and 5.5" wider than the Vegas. The smallest Pursuit is 29' and 102" wide. No dispute that the bigger one goes the more room you have. Been there done that! 🙂 Just depends what your must haves are. For us, as we downsized, smaller length and width were at the top of our list!

Thor has been great to work with. Does make me laugh that they market the RUV for families, yet so far all the Axis/Vegas owners we have connected with are vacationing retirees like ourselves!!

[rcmiller32]

For us we looked at the FR3, Vegas and Coachmen Pursuit. We went with the Pursuit for the room and brighter interior. Could not see the E350 chassis lasting for the number of years we wanted. Have worked on E350 and E450 chassis on ambulances for several years and the front ball joints and springs needed service more often then the king pins and leaf springs of the F53 chassis. Also the brakes are smaller on the E350 than F53 chassis. Also look at the CCC of the two units. On our 18,000 chassis fully loaded and with a toad we are at 17,200 lbs. This was weighted and comfirmed on scales at all four wheels. With out toad just under 17,000 lbs. The Vegas with the E350 chassis is only 12,500 rating I believe. The FR3 is 18,000. Things to consider if using full time. Unlike a van you can empty the motorhome is always going to be sitting on the chassis.

[Effy]

You are comparing apples to oranges. The Vegas/AXIS is an RUV built on the 350 chassis. The FR3 is a class A built on the F53. It feels bigger because it is bigger. You won't find another brand of RUV like the Vegas because it doesn't exist. Thor owns 100% of the market share in that space - for now. If you want an apples to apples comparison, you want to look at the ACE, or VISTA or other small entry Class A. The FR3 was designed to compete against the ACE (frankly it's almost an exact copy). We love our ACE and am very happy with Thor. I don't have any personal experience with FR.

[Happily_Retired]

We looked at the FR3 25DS and bought the Axis 24.1 which is identical to the Vegas.

One huge difference is the FR3's slide has a dinette while the Vegas's slide has a queen size sofa. We are not dinette people so that was a deal breaker for us. You may feel differently. We were downsizing from a large class A, so we were not interested in another wide coach. Axis/Vegas is 94" wide and FR3 is 99". Second deal breaker. I did prefer the FR3 shower and do agree it had a larger feel because it is larger!! 🙂

The doghouse is further forward and lower in the Vegas, so it is much easier to access the driver's seat. We also use that space as our eating area with the captain's chairs facing each other with the table between them. In the FR3 we could not get the front passenger seat to swivel enough so we could recline the back a little. Be sure and compare it to the Vegas.

I bumped my head on the overhead bed in the FR3. Much prefer the one in the Axis/Vegas and did not like the FR3 magnet system. Try working both and see which you prefer.

Both units have king size beds, but you have to extend the second slide to have that size bed in the FR3. We wanted a bed that could be left made up and used when traveling without having to put the slide out.

We much preferred the internal entry steps on the Axis. The FR3 has the retractable open steps that our elderly dog had begun to refuse on our previous A. She goes up our Axis steps willingly. Saves our backs!! 🙂

While we liked the FR3, we loved the Axis. Choosing a coach is such a personal decision,and I am in no way trying to disparage the FR3. Just wanted to give you some of the reasons we chose what we did.

Hope that helps!