Thor/Heartland buys DRV

[jlb27537]

For your reading pleasure

http://www.rvbusiness.com/2015/01/th...cruiser-drv-2/

[bigskyjimmy]

I'm thinking people who buy DRV's are not that happy about that ,they are more than likely thinking Thor/Heartland will cut corners somewhere that will affect the Quality and upper end Status of Mobile Suites,BUT I bet the Workers are Happy to keep all their Jobs for sure

[Artemus Gordon]

Actually I don't disagree on the DRV owners being a little uppity and unhappy. That said, cash flow issues and continued long term operation capital, are concerns for many family owned companies. I been looking at that SOB and discounts are very steep. Lots of inventory on a limited dealer network. This could be a major game changer for these smaller volume niche builders. One last comment. Builders like Keystone are upping their game, offering features, very similar to other so called luxury coaches. "The Games afoot"!

[TLightning]

Those DRVs are very heavy, most dually ones ton would be over weight hauling one.

[mhs4771]

Yet you see plenty of them behind 250/2500 Series TVs!!

[K0LCB]

They are heavy, 15 inch frames, 100 gallon tanks. I think most have 17.5 wheels. I guess you need that to carry all your gold

[davidaf]

Lots of them here in my home home park. Most people don't even own tow vehicles any longer. There used to be a dealer that kept a few and a few SOB rigs on site. They'd just move them onto the lot for the buyer and pull their old rig out.

[Artemus Gordon]

Units we looked at were Tri Axle units. 8000lb axles and about 44 ft long. 16k 17k dry. Test towed one 50 miles, and would be dishonest, if I said I did not feel the weight. My truck handled it to my satisfaction. Bright spot was stopping, very smooth with its hydraulic/Elect braking system. I personally believe you have to have a newer Dually at the very least. Ram, Ford and GM all can do it, but it's really the very max limit for towing IMHO. I was told its Non Commerical Class A time, if or when I go that direction. I am going for that license soon, because depending on what you read, I am already at the limit. Note: All those rigs come with H rated tires!

[jcurtis934]

I believe that dually F450 is the minimum reccomended tow vehicle. Their frames are multiple box steel rectangular tubes welded together...the top of the line produced by Lippert. Will see what Thor has to say about this acquistion at the Tampa rv show next week. John

[jlb27537]

My wife plays cards with the wife's of a couple of DRV owners in our park. Their husbands are "miffed" at the sale. You could call DRV and actually talk to someone that knew the product.

Bet that goes away.

[Bigboomer]

This is a big topic over on RV Dreams forum where there are a lot of DRV owners and they are all freaking out!

It is like Thor/ Heartland is the plague!

[K0LCB]

What happened when Thor Industries acquired Airsteam?

[mhs4771]

Don't know, but they have been several articles that Airstream can't keep up with the demand. So someone must be doing something right or wrong.

As for Thor/Heartland being the plague, don't know if it's that or the fact that so many DRV owners have cut down anything and everything Thor has been involved with and now they are part of them.

[Artemus Gordon]

Last post is so true! I been on sites where those owners run down everyone. I remember when I saw the first Lincoln Navigator at car show! "Said look at that Gawdy chrome truck, who buy one of those"? Three weeks later I owned one! Lol