Thanks for your video, very informative. At the end of your video you said that doing the Mercedes stuff would be boring. Well, I’ve been looking for a video on just that thing the working of the dash and the centre console so I was just encourage you to make one. I think someone would look at it you’re a good teacher..
That was a great tour, can't wait to see your mods. I have the "P" with the Lithium package. Pro tip: Every time you fix something Thor missed, shake your head at the workmanship or accuse them of price gouging think of the 60 grand you saved over the Revel or Storyteller.
Thanks, that's a fair point and I do remind myself that this is the "economical" brand even though it's the most expensive RV I have owned. We would have preferred the lithium package but our dealer doesn't normally order them that way so it would have been a very long lead time, and I'm warming up to the idea of having the generator as a backup power source. I just hate to listen to anyone else's generator so I would avoid running it unless we're by ourselves, and then probably just for a battery recharge.
Storyteller has 3 different modes to choose from starting at $157,747 on the Mercedes chasis and a Ford Transit at $153,748. Everyone has the right to choose what they like, I would have gone with a Storyteller, better build quality, would have avoided making repairs and upgrades that should have been taken care of at the factory. Plus the Volta system is superior, could run A/C anytime of the day without shore power plugged in.
@@BrainRight Just got a 2022 19P. I'm a construction electrician and can't figure out how you rewired the microwave. Would you please explain in detail.
@@BrainRight Some people actually bought these in the $145k range. You can get them now in the $120k range. I think it is good value. Have you had any emissions problems yet?
I'm writing this from the woods in Michigan's upper peninsula, and so far the van is working great. We took it down some punishing trails and logging roads to reach remote campsites and have had no real problems so far. It will fit through some very overgrown trails and I have the pinstripes to prove it! More video coming soon.
We just purchased the tranquility 19L and are loving it for sure, though have you used it in below freezing temps yet? We'll be taking it up in the Rockies during the winter and want to be sure it's insulated enough beyond the usual worries.
@@carterjennings8076 We have used it in cool weather (mid 40s) and the furnace works well and is very quiet. We haven't yet used it in very cold weather, and it is insulated but I think the insulation is only mediocre so it should work, but it may use a lot of propane so I'd start with a full tank.
A real world, honest review/tour. Greatly appreciated. Thank you! One suggestion for dealing with the drip from you kitchen faucet. Cut open a hollow center (ie. tennis) ball and place it over the faucet. It won't hold a lot of water, but may be sufficient for your needs.
Glad you found it helpful, and thanks for the faucet suggestion. That might work during the warm season when we're using the water system. I just came up with another solution for cold weather when we have the plumbing winterized, to stop the faucets from dribbling red RV antifreeze and making a mess. I put a finger cot over the end of the faucet like a little condom, and then added a second one over it for reinforcement. It seems to work well and lets us fold up the bathroom sink out of the way, plus we can carry stuff in the kitchen sink without getting antifreeze on it.
Thank you for taking the time to go through this van so thoroughly. The size of the vehicle and the layout are perfect for me but as someone who is not handy in anyway, it needs way too many modifications to make it a really decent contender in my search for the perfect van. Honestly? It looks rather cheap and these vans are not cheap! Thank you for helping me to take it off my list of potentials.
Agreed, I wouldn't recommend it for someone not able and willing to fix some things. It shouldn't be that way, and yet I really can't complain (much) because now that I've straightened it out we're having a great time overlanding and camping with it.
@@BrainRight Thank you for the reply . Unfortunately that lay out does not work for us. We are looking for the layout similar to the 19P, yet mechanical durability and interior durability is also a important factor. We are doing are best to educate ourselves before we make our purchase. Your videos have been very helpful .😊
Congratulations on your new camper van. May you get many enjoyable years out of it. I'm considering this model and find your review and fixes truly refreshing. You are correct, for the price you can't beat the Tranquility/Sanctuary product. As we all know there is no free lunch but you pegged it, you have a 4x4 Sprinter that you would normally pay a lot more for. Thank you for the informative walk through. I look forward to following all your videos.
I ended up buying a 2023 Sanctuary 19P. My parents are avid RVers and told me I would regret buying a Thor. Although the inside of the van is cheaply put together, I bought it because it's a Mercedes. Couldn't even fathom spending this much for a Dodge Promaster or a Ford Transit.
Great tour. Helped me rule it out. If I was as handy as you, I might self-fix some of the shortcomings, and it might be perfect for others, but glad I watched. Will focus on rigs more designed for offroad use issues. The hanging grey dump is a real head scratcher. As well as the upper cabinets having no latches. And that sink faucet dribble would just annoy me too much (though I'd probably lay a dish towel on top of the cover and wedge the corner of the towel into the crack to solve the rattle. Hope you enjoy it! I know every rig will have its own issues.
Yeah the dump valve was puzzling but easy to replace once I got the right valve (see my van improvements video for that). The upper cabinets seem like they would dump stuff out but surprisingly they stayed closed on some very rough trails. The closet door not so much (!) and it now has a latch. We just leave the sink cover home and don't carry anything in it that can't get wet, so that's no big deal for us.
You should contact Thor and let them know to use a curve sliding door instead in next years model. I also think they should open it up and have bench seating in back. Congrats it's a beautiful van.
Thanks, a curve sliding door sounds interesting but might exceed their desired price point. The seating in back is usable as a 3-person bench with 3 seatbelts, so we can carry up to 3 extra passengers that way. It's tight though and I don't think it would be comfortable for 3 adults over long distances.
Great tour man, thanks for posting. Please post up a video of what your solution ends up being for the super low hanging grey water valve. I agree, that's not well executed at all.
Glad you found it useful, and the next video shows the much better grey water valve I put on. That only took me about 5 minutes to fix once I had the new valve, and on our first road trip (video coming) it took some abuse from rough trails with no problems.
The #1 most effective way to increase storage space is to take less stuff! Unfortunately I'm not very good at that. The roof is not ideal because it's already sort of full, I would have to carry a ladder and tote stuff up and down it, and anything carried in the most available area would block the solar panel. We are figuring out some ways to maximize the usefulness of the space inside, and also finding some unused hidden spaces (e.g. above and to the right of the drawers) that I can open up and make useful. I'll probably make a video of these improvements once I get more of them done.
Thanks, I also like a lot of things better on the Revel but I do like the layout of the 19P with its rear living area. I've seen some conversion kits for the Revel that give that to some degree but it's hard to do with the bed arrangement. If I ever get a custom van built I'd want it to be similar to a Revel but with a layout like the 19P.
@@BrainRight Yes people really like the GLS system in the back of the Revel but we are pretty comfortable with being up front when relaxing. We are outside most of the time and I have a cover for the windshield and side windows that goes on the outside of the van and it has screens so we can have the windows down. makes the inside feel not so closed up.
Great video. Nice seeing the other models on the Sanctuary. I got a 2020 19L same package as yours, a few months ago, I have found so many stupid things wrong with it....can't believe how they just throw them together and put them for sale with out anyone checking to make sure everything works and is installed correctly.
Yes it's especially frustrating because it seems to be lots of little things that wouldn't have cost them any more to do right in the first place, and some that are just obviously sloppy work. It's not that it took me all that much time to do their jobs for them and fix it after the fact, just disappointing that THOR didn't seem to care. At this point it's water under the bridge and we're loving the van, hope you are too.
Yes the price is attractive in comparison, even if it still seems expensive. Just be aware of the build issues and that it may be more of a project than one would expect.
Thanks. Replacing the inverter would be fairly simple, but unsurprisingly Thor used the smallest-possible gauge of wire from the battery to the inverter. A larger inverter would require thicker wires and replacing them would take considerable work. The 1000W inverter is just barely enough to run the 950W microwave and we do use it that way for simple things like warming up leftovers, but the voltage drop in the DC supply wires means that the inverter will shut off if the battery is below about 75% charge.
WOW seems like a lot of fixes and fails for an expensive van ! I'd get rid of the bike rack and A/C , put a spare &carrier and ladder on the back , upgrade the solar , lipofe batteries , bigger inverter , roof vent in the back , as well as the numerous items you mentioned , just seems like there's a ton of stuff that's less than acceptable , in my opinion 👍😎
If I ever get another camper van I would go with a full custom solution so I can make all the design choices. From what I have seen Advanced RV would be a solid choice, though you have to be prepared to fork over a lot more cash and wait a lot longer vs. a mass-produced brand. One advantage of buying something that's functional (okay barely functional) and modifying it later is that we can keep on camping in between upgrades.
Good, I hope I helped set realistic expectations. I don't regret buying the 19P at all, and I don't think you will either as long as you're prepared to deal with some issues. So far they've all been relatively minor issues for us and we really enjoy the van.
Great tour of the camper. My wife and I bought the Tranquility 19P about 2 months ago. We have the same issues that you are having, from the drawers sliding open to the water filter/pump being inadequately attached. We live in Southern California and have camped/boondocked in 100 degree heat. The fridge worked great as did the air conditioning and generator. The Mercedes van runs great, too. No issues climbing a 7500 foot mountain range. Not sure if you used the back spray port yet, but ours wasn’t working when we tried it. Took it apart, and found that too much hose was in that metal black box the spray port is attached to. The hose kinked up enough so that no water came through. I’m curious if you have the same trouble. We are trying to figure out how to fix it without ripping out the inside where the hose comes from near the hot water heater or splicing the hose. Funny, you mentioned you had a truck camper before this. We had a Northern Lite truck camper and it was awesome. Would have kept it along with the Ram 3500 but it wouldn’t fit on our lot here in SoCal when we moved from the east coast 3 years ago.
That kind of heat could certainly change my opinion about A/C and generators! Glad to know the it can handle the heat if necessary, but so far our temps in Michigan have been very moderate and we're not likely to go anyplace warmer in the summer. I used our back spray port when I flushed the water system and it seems to work fine. Personally I think I would replace the entire hose rather than adding a splice. Also, I noticed that the "low point drain" valves on the driver's side just have little PEX elbows on them that could be easily replaced by hose connectors. That would give an alternative place to get outside water - and unlike the back port it has both hot and cold, plus it would work with all the doors shut.
Hi, We have the Tranquility 19P also and have the same issues and a few others, our biggest issues is the bed and the side seat pullout bracket, on our unit the brackets sits very high and when you are sleeping you feel the metal bracket and it hurts even with a 3-inch foam mattress pad, i need THOR to fix this. In the shop right now with voltage overload we think coming from the fan motor, when the engine was turned on the fan would not open or close and got the voltage overload on the screen. But as we are waiting for the fan motor to come in to get replaced I got the voltage overload again when the battery discount was on and solar was showing full. As for the outside shower hose we had the same issue and instead of having them fix it which may have taken forever since the hose was way too long ,and I could not get the kink out to get it to work right so I off the cover and make the hole bigger so now it just sits in box and when i need to use it (and i do for surfing) i just pull it out and hook it up works fine now. Overall happy hoping to get it back from the shop tomorrow for the first longest 6 day trip.
@@tomaros11 Thanks for the reply. We did think about leaving the spray port loose in the box and may have to for the same reason your saying…could take forever to fix plus we are 2 hour drive each way from La Mesa/San Diego. When we get a few more items that need fixing and need to take it to the dealer, thats when we’ll address it. As far as the fan motor, are you talking about the kitchen ceiling exhaust fan? I noticed that you can’t raise or lower the plastic roof cover with the van engine running. The iPad thing where the raise and lower button/switch is has a warning notice come on that says this is a normal function. I guess its a safety issue? I haven’t noticed any solar voltage overload but will double check. I’m not familiar with the solar power system yet but trying to learn. I went on the solar controller companies website and checked the reading against their trouble shooting chart for the model number of the controller. It SEEMS to be working fine. And when we are camping off grid, the solar keeps the batteries charged pretty well for a few days with the fridge running all the time though I do have to run the generator for awhile to help charge it up to peak after those few days. We also have that bracket issue in the bed, but just put a mattress topper on and it works fine. Though I would like to get that issue addressed too, so its on the list. But overall, very happy so far with the van. We did look at a Revel. For the extra 60K it would have cost for the Revel, I’ll deal with the (so far) minor issues. Though I would have liked to have gotten the lithium package.
@@BrainRight Thanks for the advice with the low point drain valves. I will go that route but will definitely get the spray port to work properly. I’m the type of person that can’t leave that not working, lol. And I agree about not splicing the hose. Probably couldn’t sleep at night:). Again, thanks for the great video and look forward others.
We are much happier with the doors removed, as it's easier to move past each other in the van and the curtain works fine for privacy. I'm sure some people would prefer solid doors though.
Glad you found it helpful. My videos generally focus more on my projects so I don't have any other similar reviews, though I do have a few more about the van and our (mis)adventures with it.
General RV are snake oil sellers. Go to the dealers that handle the other model. General stole my warranty awning, yes it’s theft because I paid for it as part of the vehicle. General won’t even return calls to the manufacturer, Thor. Props to Thor for working with me though not finished with the BS. Thanks, will follow your “Run Silent” solutions, the noise can be maddening.
Does the drivers front seat fully swivel to face the rear, or is it impeded by the cabinet behind? We’re considering a system to sleep the kids that requires a full swivel on both drivers and passenger seats. Thanks!
I purchased a 2022 Thor Sanctuary on July 29th. It is a nice-looking van at an attractive price compared to the competition. I bought it happily and watched this video. I thought all the comments and suggestions made were very accurate. The quality details that are talked about here should have been a quality cue. Unfortunately, my 2022 Sanctuary is particularly poorly assembled, and the entire cabinets above the kitchen and bed came down crashing while driving on a perfectly smooth highway 2 weeks later. I did not even have a chance to try the 4 wheel drive feature. Service told me that the screws were not strong enough. Now I am dealing with the unpleasant experience to ensure that customer service at Thor and my dealer in Ashland, Virginia, do the fair thing and fix the problems in a courteous and timely manner. The van has been in service for four weeks and counting; not all parts have been ordered yet, disappointing follow-up. We canceled all our 2021 vacations and are waiting without a timeline. I have learned that checking the quality of the after-sales service you will receive is essential; it is a nightmare here. I regret not spending more for a more established and proven brand for a 4 by 4 Sprinter van.
Pascal, I'm so sorry to hear about your cabinet failure, and even more sorry that I didn't pay more attention to it because our kitchen cabinets just fell off too. I will be featuring that in an upcoming video! This is clearly a defect in workmanship and not an isolated case. The actual problem is that the top screws aren't LONG enough - they barely dimpled the sheet metal into which they were meant to penetrate. So nearly all the weight was being carried by a few screws into the side wall along the bottom, and the screws along the top were just in thin plywood. We got lucky because I had added a bracket on the front to stop it from squeaking (hint - if it squeaks then it's not held up well enough), and that bracket held so it didn't crush the kitchen unit and the back soft-landed on the couch. It still made for an interesting time since we were hundreds of miles from home so I had to improvise a repair with ratchet straps in order to finish the trip. I will be fixing this myself since I don't trust the dealer to do it right. Video coming soon.
@@BrainRight I am so sorry it happened to you as well. Your review was excellent. The same problem here. The dealer went to home depot to buy the proper screws. They replaced the screws on both sides. We also canceled our vacations and secured the cabinets the best we could to go home from Ohio to Virginia. The kids were seating below the cabinets the day before. I was very disappointed by Thor's behavior. They did not own the problem and were arguing with the dealer about repair hours instead of offering solutions. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to your story. It is concerning, someone is going to get hurt if it is not fixed.
Thanks, glad you found it useful. And yes, being able to actually get one is it's biggest selling point - despite the fact that it may be a project to get it all working right.
I won't defend Thor by saying others are similar, but build quality issues seem to be plaguing every brand of mass-produced RV these days. The custom-built rigs may have better attention to detail but they all seem to have very long lead times so there's no easy answer.
@@BrainRight Build quality was especially bad during the Covid pandemic. Top to bottom. I found a new 2022 Sanctuary like yours for $110k. Yes, its a 4x4. But Jesus with all the quality issues it's hard to pull the trigger.
Great video. Colorado like Michigan is cold in the winter. Was told by Thor to keep the House battery between 50-80%. Temperature of 15 degrees last night took battery from 99% to 87% with everything turned off. Does you battery drain that quickly when just parked in your driveway overnight? Thanks ! John
My van has a propane generator and two 100AH AGM batteries, which work well in cold weather without self-discharging. All the newer Thor vans have lithium battery banks which have much higher capacity but cannot operate in very cold temperatures so the system has a battery heater to keep them warm, and that drains the batteries. Lithium has the advantages of much higher specific energy (kWh per kilogram) and longer lifetime, whereas AGM batteries have much lower cost per kWh and work well in cold temperatures, but their lower specific energy means it's not very practical to carry a large-capacity battery bank due to the weight. If you want to use a lithium system in cold weather you'll probably want to connect shore power to keep it charged up.
Thank you Brian, for the really informative video. I am planning to get one next couple of weeks. I wanted to know how the system will behave in cold conditions. Where are the storage tanks located? Can we operate the van in freezing weather?
I don't have experience using it in freezing weather but it's designed to handle some cold. The fresh water tank is inside, behind the driver's seat. The graywater tank is underneath and has a heater blanket below it, so it should be okay if you turn that heater on - however I wouldn't want to run that on batteries alone for very long because it will drain the batteries. I wouldn't worry about it if temps are just a little below freezing at night. The blackwater tank is a 5 gallon cassette and is inside the van, but it's isolated and has an outside door so it could freeze in very cold temps. For true freezing conditions I will winterize all the plumbing, and of course it's still possible to camp that way but less convenient. We have used the Truma furnace on a couple of cool nights and it's nearly silent.
Not cold cold climate. The propane will freeze. The tank heaters are for temperate areas for when you didn’t get around to winterizing then a cold spell sets in.
We looked at many different options and none were perfect. We liked the floorplan of this van and it had the distinct advantages of actually being available now, and being about $40k less expensive than most alternatives we would consider. I really don't have any big complaints, just a lot of little ones that I knew I could address in a short time. So all things being a compromise, this seemed like the best balance of tradeoffs for us. I tried not to complain too much in the video, but also didn't want to present only the good aspects because it does have some weaknesses that people should be aware of. Most would be so easy to fix (e.g. things that rattle or come open) that I hope Thor will take notice and improve them.
It's one of the quietest generators I've heard in an RV, but it still sounds like a generator and wouldn't be appropriate where generators are prohibited.
I am 6' tall and 150 pounds and it's adequate but not overly roomy for me. The shower floor is above the van floor so it's less than 6' inside and I cannot stand upright but would sit to shower. I don't think you'll find a much bigger shower in any van of this size, and many are smaller. A big fella could probably make it work, but might be happier with an outside shower.
That ‘good deal’ is a Hot Mess. Just looking at the random exterior ports had my eyes rolling. And then the interior…. Layout is its best feature. Shareholders take note.
I’ve watched many van builds from small local builders who would put this rig to shame for $150,000. The advantage of the big companies have is dealers can sell their product with a 20 year loan, whereas most of the local builders don’t offer any financing. A rig from an RV dealer might be $900 or $1000 a month, which is less than the monthly Mercedes loan payment for just the vehicle, without anything built into it.
Agreed that a mass-produced RV will never compete with custom builders on quality, just as custom builders will never compete with mass producers on speed and availability. For us the advantage was that we could start using it a year or more sooner, even if it meant tolerating mass-produced quality or lack thereof.
The thing I just do not like about these small campers other than the price. They do not think about how to use the space. I spent 20 years in the Navy. 16 years aboard Navy ships. They should get advice from those who use the campers. Thanks
I'm not in the habit of defending Thor, but I can understand most of their design choices even if I don't like them. They're selling these mass-produced RVs through places like General RV where most shoppers have expectations that differ from mine and yours. I'm willing to adapt it to my needs in exchange for a much shorter lead time and lower (though still exorbitant) price point, but it's a big tradeoff vs. having a fully custom van built exactly as I'd want it. Maybe I'll go that route sometime in the future.
Hello, thank you for a great review. I am currently looking around for an RV for my family, and Roadtrek Agile SS (or American Coach Patriot, both 19' long) has caught my eye. I am wondering, did you ever look at those, do you have any comments, pros/cons as you compare yours to those models? Cheers!
There's no dealer in my area that carries either of these so it would have been a significant drive for me just to look at one and they weren't on my short list, but they look nice on their websites. I would definitely consider either of these if there were a dealer nearby.
@@BrainRight Thank you Brian for taking the time and getting back. Talking about my shortlist: Roadtrek Agile SS (there is Chassis shortage per dealer I talked today), Wingamm Oasi 610 (Italian - - - arriving in the US next year), and may be Oasi 540 (I would buy both if I could affort it...lol). American Coach Patriot is awesome but wife said not to that :) Thanks again!
@@Silverado62 Patriot has the bathroom and the whole assembly right behind the driver, as a result, the driver is kinda sorta concealed from folks sitting in the lounge area. Roadtrek set up is just the opposite and from lounge to driver is a clear line of sight. Wife says, she would feel alone if she was sitting in the back and me hidden behind the bathroom. That is the logic and I have no choice but comply :) If Wingamm Oasi 610 has the right specs, I think that is the one, it is on Ram Promaster Chassis, and that Cahssis currently does not have some of the features I like to see.....waiting game for now...thanks!
Hi, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We've used it off-road quite a bit now and the 4WD system works fairly well in most situations, but it struggles in sand where we need to disable the Electronic Stability Program or it bogs down. And the differential braking that's supposed to send power to the wheels with traction is only so-so, probably helps a bit but certainly nothing like a locking differential.
It's interesting that they now list that as 'S' which I assume means 'standard', and no longer mention the generator. When I bought mine the standard configuration was with a 200AH AGM battery bank plus a propane generator, which is what I have, and the 400AH lithium package was a $12K option that replaced the generator and had a larger 3KW inverter. My dealer only ordered the generator version so that was all they had in stock or coming soon, and that's what I have. Perhaps it's been discontinued and all models have lithium now. There are definitely trade-offs between the two so I don't see it as a cut-and-dried choice but from the web site it looks like it's no longer a choice.
I honestly (and perhaps surprisingly) don't regret getting the Thor, but I wouldn't buy another one. If I were to buy another van I'd probably get the same Sprinter 2500 4x4 chassis but as a bare van, and build out the interior myself. That's probably not a good option for most people though, so for a prebuilt RV I'd suggest the Revel. With a much larger budget and wait time I'd suggest a custom van from a builder such as Advanced RV.
Yes it's frustrating to have lots of little things that aren't quite right, but so far they have all been minor and easily corrected. I could have had the dealer do it but it's less work for me to just fix it. And honestly I've yet to see an RV that started out perfect, just seems to be how it goes.
Great video! Does adaptive cruise control come as a standard feature? How about lane-keeping, active braking, and other safety features that Revel has. Thanks!
Thanks, yes these all came standard on the Sanctuary that we purchased. Thor doesn't specifically list them on their website (or they didn't when last I looked), so it's possible that they may have some sprinters without these features. The adaptive cruise is great for long trips, but I find the lane-keeping warnings annoying and unfortunately there's no straightforward way to turn it off permanently so I have to shut it off every time we start.
I shot this video with the DJI Pocket 2 gimbal using just its built-in mics. I'm pretty happy with the sound quality considering the simplicity and size of those microphones, and didn't do any post-processing on the audio except to normalize the volume. Some shots have a bit of 60 Hz hum from a nearby transformer that I probably could have filtered out. The drone shots are with a Mavic Mini.
The main reason is that a fully custom build (either DIY or from a company like Sportsmobile) takes a long time, and my wife has some shoulder issues that make our other camping options no longer practical for us. So it's either stay home for a year, or compromise with an off-the-shelf van plus a week or two of work to improve it. We might consider a full custom build at some point but in the meantime we are out enjoying this van and it's working well for us.
Can you tell me the MSRP and what you actually paid? I am looking at on right now but afraid they might be trying to the advantage of the COVID shortage of VANS and dealers hiking the price up.
I paid about $130K, and MSRP is a bit higher but I think it may have gone up (though not much) since I bought it. Supply and demand is definitely at work.
Yes the air conditioner requires generator or shore power. Even if the inverter were powerful enough to run it (which it is not), the batteries could only run it for about an hour so it wouldn't be very useful.
Great honest unbiased review. Thor is building poorly engineered and poor quality products which you have to modify to make them usable. Definitely not getting what you paid for.
The problems I showed in this video were pretty minor compared to the cabinet collapse that happened later. I don't really feel I got what I paid for, but we made the best of it and after a lot of work it's a great solution for us as far the living space and usability.
Thanks. Now that I've seen inside some of the structure I can say that yes it's insulated, but the insulation isn't all that great. Looks like fiberglass batting stuffed into some of the larger cavities, and Reflectix-style insulation in some areas. We have camped when it got down around 40F at night and were very comfortable, with seemingly low propane use and the furnace is extremely quiet. I would expect it to be okay in sub-freezing weather, but lower propane use could be achieved with better insulation.
I didn't change the ones that came with the van, just added new ones next to them so there's two magnets on each drawer. The new ones are nothing special, just ones that I had on hand, but with double the magnets it's about double the force holding them closed.
I am in the market for a new camper van ; I believe tranquility 19p and 19l can be had for ~135k (I like 19L better due to nice organized garaje) my question: if you had to do it all over again, would you purchase this for 135k or would move to revel for 150k? My fav is STO beast but I believe there is a long waiting list thanks in advanced ps: I checked in person both tranquility (19p and 19L) and revel, and was unimpressed by the quality and attention to details ; kind of disappointed that this can happen with these expensive rigs
The latest price for the Revel starts around $175K and goes higher with options so it's a significant difference, and they are very hard to find (at least in this area) so there's a significant wait as well. I like some things about the Revel but I much prefer the rear dining/living area of the 19P, although one can add aftermarket rear seating for the Revel. I also much prefer the north-south sleeping arrangement of the 19P, since it means one person doesn't have to crawl over the other to get up at night. The bed is also lower in the 19P, which works better for us. None of this is to say that the Revel is bad, just not as good a fit for our needs. The 19L is close to the Revel in layout so we prefer the 19P, but it does have significantly less storage in the rear.
The hose is for graywater. The sinks and shower drain into a 20-gallon graywater tank. However there's no reason it needs to be 3 inches in diameter; a short garden hose is adequate and easier to carry.
Yes they attach with Velcro. We haven't used them yet but it looks like they will work okay. The main down side is that they're cumbersome to store when not in use.
@@BrainRight Thanks I saw another video from a dealer that went through one and yes they are Velcro, I wish they had magnetic clasp for the main door. 😢 I noticed that the doors on bathroom didn't appear to have the same issues as yours. But I'm 99% sure that's the model I will get. Just take off the stupid magazine racks! What is this 1980? I was just about to look up possibly replacing the microwave with a convection microwave. But I'll probably just bring a small toaster oven. I noticed they have an update to 3kw inverter but they take the gen away? I assume the microwave runs only on the gen. But considering how short of time the microwave runs it's fine IMO One more question if you will. I assume the TV is not smart from what you Said, but the thing on the top is it a TV antenna? Or a WiFi extender or both? Thanks. ( I'm hoping to order next spring) thank you so much!
@@RoadTripRuss The 3kW inverter comes with the lithium package, where the batteries take the place of the generator. That inverter should run the microwave fine, and even the A/C for a short time. The original TV was very basic and I replaced it with a Vizio smart TV. The Winegard unit on top is a TV antenna plus a Wifi hotspot that can connect to a nearby Wifi network or to a wireless phone network with a data plan. We find that it often pulls in a wireless signal when our phones cannot, so we can get Internet but it's just a wifi hotspot and not also a phone signal booster.
The "Sanctuary" models like mine are sold exclusively by General RV, whereas the identical "Tranquility" models are sold by other dealers. The pricing varies depending on demand and options but mine was about $130K.
MSRP from Thor is $148,680 and dealers typically sell around 10% below that. It still seems like a lot of money for a small camper, but it's less expensive than some competing brands.
Yes the salesman at General RV said they only order them with the off-road tire option because everybody wants that. The tires are BF Goodrich T/A KO2's which get pretty good reviews for overlanding but I don't have much experience with them yet. Unfortunately this option adds an exorbitant $2093 over the base price! If it came with the standard tires it would have cost me exactly $893 to have Belle Tire install four KO2's identical to what I got (that's their actual installed price, I just checked) and then I could have sold the brand-new take-off tires for about $400 so it would only have cost me about $500 instead of $2093. To say that Thor is price gouging is an understatement.
@@BrainRight the cost includes different wheels as well though. I noticed yours has the standard Mercedes rims and then they added the tires? I have a unit on order with the tire and wheel package but have been thinking about deleting it after reading reviews that they vibrate at 60mph+. Are you certain you do not have the stock setup? I see the BFG’s but on stock wheels so it is confusing. 🤔
@@Tozniak not your rims, the optional rims and tires of the off-road package. Yours seems to have the optional tires but doesn't have the rims I am referring to. On the Facebook Group 3 people have mentioned it.
Ours came with the "off-road tires" option but I haven't found anywhere that Thor specifies precisely what that is. They are the BFG KO2s so yes they are off-road tires, but they are just standard OEM steel rims. I think I saw some aftermarket rims on another unit we looked at (which was already sold) so I'm thinking that for some reason I just got stuck with plain rims instead. Personally I'm okay with that, except for getting charged over $2K just for a set of 4 tires, as I'm more concerned with function and I'm glad to not have the vibration issue.
The biggest difference is the floorplan, and the Sanctuary 19L is closer to the Revel in that regard. We prefer the floorplan of the 19P for its rear living space, plus the bed is lower so it's easier to get into and you sleep north-south so one person can get up at night without crawling over the other; the Revel and 19L have east-west sleeping with bump-outs to make the van a bit wider in back. The Revel has a powered lift bed that can be raised to make a rear cargo area, but the 19L does not although it still has more storage in back than the 19P. The build quality of the Revel is generally better, but it's not perfect by any means and it costs about 40% more.
@@BrainRight I'm 6'2" so I will generally prefer n-s sleeping. Even with those bulges on the Revel, it will be tight. I like something that I can hit the road and go where the wind takes me. "Oh my, I'm in the middle of Alberta, must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque." I'm few years away from a purchase, so starting my research early.
The bathroom is totally useless. Medical cabinet gets in the way. Why do you need one. When we go horseback riding we take our up to the mountains. We made an outdoor shower. It serves the purpose just fine. Thanks
We actually carry a lot of stuff in the medicine cabinet now that I added some tray-style shelves to hold things. But I agree the space could have been used better, and we have yet to use the shower as a shower. It does hold plenty of our gear though, and sometimes we camp in areas where an outdoor shower would not be very practical.
It seems to be common with Thor, and I can't compare them to other manufacturers except to say that I've read about problems with most other brands too. To be fair, none of the problems I've encountered have been major, just lots of little annoyances.
I just buy the 19P with the Lithium package at Hershey show I am very disappointed with the quality of this product I can't mention all of them, so many. Thor and many of that RV manufacturers are very locky that Toyota or Honda don't build RV's for the US otherwise they will be out of business. When you call Thor customer care they claim they are tech support but they have no clue of anything. One of many things wrong with mine the propane regulator was hanging with a plastic tide from part of the chassis, every wire and pipe inside the coach was loose nothing was secure, and many more things. Special note, the only reason I buy mine is that I only paid $123,000.00 OTD.
It seems to be a pervasive problem in the RV industry these days. Demand is so high and supply so low that they have little incentive to improve the quality or even to fix things that are wrong. The more expensive brands may be somewhat better but are not without problems. We shouldn't have to fix these things ourselves but that's how it is, and despite all the annoyances I'm still glad we bought the van because we've had a lot of fun with it. I hope yours works out well for you once the problems are straightened out.
It wouldn't be my choice to have the AC, but I can understand why they included one since they sell to a broad market. Even though it's an energyvore it may be a reasonable tradeoff for those who live in much hotter climates than I do.
Yes all things have tradeoffs, and in the end it cost me far less money than competing models and I like the end result better, plus I have it much sooner.
One does have to wonder, but I think it's just that "camping" means so many different things to different people. Most of Thor's campers seem to be targeted at typical full-service campground users driving mostly on paved roads, and not at back-woods primitive camping which is what we like. It's really their first small 4x4 motor home that can get into more remote places so despite being one of the biggest camper manufacturers, they don't seem to have much experience with this style of camping. Fortunately I can work around most of its shortcomings but I wish I didn't have to. Of course there are many other options such as custom van conversions but lead times often run well over a year these days.
I like the small size of the van itself but the inside of those Thor vans are cheaply made. A piece of junk. I've seen a lot of diy vans made a heck of a lot way better made than these vans. I was interested in these Thor vans but not interested at all anymore since seeing a lot of reviews on them. A pure waste of money.
The build quality may be adequate for driving on smooth roads and camping at a KOA, but not for any serious off-road travel. I've had to fix a lot of things so I'd agree, not the best option out there. Nevertheless we've had a lot of fun with it and it's become a solid off-road camper that's well suited to our needs after a fair amount of work and customization. Next time I'd opt for a full custom build.
I won't defend Thor, but I'm reading similar stories about many different RV brands recently. It seems that demand is so high and skilled labor in such short supply that quality has tanked across the industry. I wish I didn't have to fix things but glad I have the ability so I can still go camping!
Thanks for your video, very informative. At the end of your video you said that doing the Mercedes stuff would be boring. Well, I’ve been looking for a video on just that thing the working of the dash and the centre console so I was just encourage you to make one. I think someone would look at it you’re a good teacher..
That was a great tour, can't wait to see your mods. I have the "P" with the Lithium package. Pro tip: Every time you fix something Thor missed, shake your head at the workmanship or accuse them of price gouging think of the 60 grand you saved over the Revel or Storyteller.
Thanks, that's a fair point and I do remind myself that this is the "economical" brand even though it's the most expensive RV I have owned. We would have preferred the lithium package but our dealer doesn't normally order them that way so it would have been a very long lead time, and I'm warming up to the idea of having the generator as a backup power source. I just hate to listen to anyone else's generator so I would avoid running it unless we're by ourselves, and then probably just for a battery recharge.
Storyteller has 3 different modes to choose from starting at $157,747 on the Mercedes chasis and a Ford Transit at $153,748.
Everyone has the right to choose what they like, I would have gone with a Storyteller, better build quality, would have avoided making repairs and upgrades that should have been taken care of at the factory. Plus the Volta system is superior, could run A/C anytime of the day without shore power plugged in.
@@BrainRight Just got a 2022 19P. I'm a construction electrician and can't figure out how you rewired the microwave. Would you please explain in detail.
$60k😳
@@BrainRight Some people actually bought these in the $145k range. You can get them now in the $120k range. I think it is good value. Have you had any emissions problems yet?
I'm writing this from the woods in Michigan's upper peninsula, and so far the van is working great. We took it down some punishing trails and logging roads to reach remote campsites and have had no real problems so far. It will fit through some very overgrown trails and I have the pinstripes to prove it! More video coming soon.
We just purchased the tranquility 19L and are loving it for sure, though have you used it in below freezing temps yet? We'll be taking it up in the Rockies during the winter and want to be sure it's insulated enough beyond the usual worries.
@@carterjennings8076 We have used it in cool weather (mid 40s) and the furnace works well and is very quiet. We haven't yet used it in very cold weather, and it is insulated but I think the insulation is only mediocre so it should work, but it may use a lot of propane so I'd start with a full tank.
Good honest review. I'm going to buy one tonight, I think.
A real world, honest review/tour. Greatly appreciated. Thank you!
One suggestion for dealing with the drip from you kitchen faucet. Cut open a hollow center (ie. tennis) ball and place it over the faucet. It won't hold a lot of water, but may be sufficient for your needs.
Glad you found it helpful, and thanks for the faucet suggestion. That might work during the warm season when we're using the water system. I just came up with another solution for cold weather when we have the plumbing winterized, to stop the faucets from dribbling red RV antifreeze and making a mess. I put a finger cot over the end of the faucet like a little condom, and then added a second one over it for reinforcement. It seems to work well and lets us fold up the bathroom sink out of the way, plus we can carry stuff in the kitchen sink without getting antifreeze on it.
The hose coming out of your van remind me of the slinky going down the stairs
Good honest review sir. I agree with all your gripes.
Thank you for taking the time to go through this van so thoroughly. The size of the vehicle and the layout are perfect for me but as someone who is not handy in anyway, it needs way too many modifications to make it a really decent contender in my search for the perfect van. Honestly? It looks rather cheap and these vans are not cheap! Thank you for helping me to take it off my list of potentials.
Agreed, I wouldn't recommend it for someone not able and willing to fix some things. It shouldn't be that way, and yet I really can't complain (much) because now that I've straightened it out we're having a great time overlanding and camping with it.
@@BrainRight What would you recommend for something compatible that doesn’t need all the modifications?
@@jazpwr8613 The Winnebago Revel is a popular alternative, higher in cost but generally well-regarded.
@@BrainRight Thank you for the reply . Unfortunately that lay out does not work for us. We are looking for the layout similar to the 19P, yet mechanical durability and interior durability is also a important factor. We are doing are best to educate ourselves before we make our purchase. Your videos have been very helpful .😊
Congratulations on your new camper van. May you get many enjoyable years out of it. I'm considering this model and find your review and fixes truly refreshing. You are correct, for the price you can't beat the Tranquility/Sanctuary product. As we all know there is no free lunch but you pegged it, you have a 4x4 Sprinter that you would normally pay a lot more for. Thank you for the informative walk through. I look forward to following all your videos.
Thanks, glad you found it useful.
I ended up buying a 2023 Sanctuary 19P. My parents are avid RVers and told me I would regret buying a Thor. Although the inside of the van is cheaply put together, I bought it because it's a Mercedes. Couldn't even fathom spending this much for a Dodge Promaster or a Ford Transit.
You’re so good at tours!! Thank you so much!
You're welcome, glad you found it useful.
Great review, very honest and insightful. Thanks for posting, much appreciated!
Glad it was helpful!
Great tour. Helped me rule it out. If I was as handy as you, I might self-fix some of the shortcomings, and it might be perfect for others, but glad I watched. Will focus on rigs more designed for offroad use issues. The hanging grey dump is a real head scratcher. As well as the upper cabinets having no latches. And that sink faucet dribble would just annoy me too much (though I'd probably lay a dish towel on top of the cover and wedge the corner of the towel into the crack to solve the rattle.
Hope you enjoy it! I know every rig will have its own issues.
Yeah the dump valve was puzzling but easy to replace once I got the right valve (see my van improvements video for that). The upper cabinets seem like they would dump stuff out but surprisingly they stayed closed on some very rough trails. The closet door not so much (!) and it now has a latch. We just leave the sink cover home and don't carry anything in it that can't get wet, so that's no big deal for us.
great review!! Thank you for this! I will say though that we are looking at the Ford version and not the Mercedes one.
I didn't realize you were in Michigan too! Northern MI is amazing!
Excellent video man!!! I appreciate the detail and candor. This will help me in my purchase.
Glad it was helpful!
You should contact Thor and let them know to use a curve sliding door instead in next years model. I also think they should open it up and have bench seating in back. Congrats it's a beautiful van.
Thanks, a curve sliding door sounds interesting but might exceed their desired price point. The seating in back is usable as a 3-person bench with 3 seatbelts, so we can carry up to 3 extra passengers that way. It's tight though and I don't think it would be comfortable for 3 adults over long distances.
Thanks for letting us know the details. I can take this van off my list to buy a camper van.
Great review, I am going to order one of these and appreciate you going into such detail.
Great tour man, thanks for posting. Please post up a video of what your solution ends up being for the super low hanging grey water valve. I agree, that's not well executed at all.
Glad you found it useful, and the next video shows the much better grey water valve I put on. That only took me about 5 minutes to fix once I had the new valve, and on our first road trip (video coming) it took some abuse from rough trails with no problems.
Overall this looks like a great van…looking forward to your ideas on expanding storage capability, ideally on the roof.
The #1 most effective way to increase storage space is to take less stuff! Unfortunately I'm not very good at that. The roof is not ideal because it's already sort of full, I would have to carry a ladder and tote stuff up and down it, and anything carried in the most available area would block the solar panel. We are figuring out some ways to maximize the usefulness of the space inside, and also finding some unused hidden spaces (e.g. above and to the right of the drawers) that I can open up and make useful. I'll probably make a video of these improvements once I get more of them done.
Smart idea about the shower doors. A different curtain more eye pleasing. Too bad they don't deduct that from the your bottom line.
Thanks for the detailed review
Great tour, just saw one of these in the neighborhood. I think we like our Revel better. Safe Travels
Thanks, I also like a lot of things better on the Revel but I do like the layout of the 19P with its rear living area. I've seen some conversion kits for the Revel that give that to some degree but it's hard to do with the bed arrangement. If I ever get a custom van built I'd want it to be similar to a Revel but with a layout like the 19P.
@@BrainRight Yes people really like the GLS system in the back of the Revel but we are pretty comfortable with being up front when relaxing. We are outside most of the time and I have a cover for the windshield and side windows that goes on the outside of the van and it has screens so we can have the windows down. makes the inside feel not so closed up.
A real eye-opener, thanks for the video.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Nice seeing the other models on the Sanctuary. I got a 2020 19L same package as yours, a few months ago, I have found so many stupid things wrong with it....can't believe how they just throw them together and put them for sale with out anyone checking to make sure everything works and is installed correctly.
Yes it's especially frustrating because it seems to be lots of little things that wouldn't have cost them any more to do right in the first place, and some that are just obviously sloppy work. It's not that it took me all that much time to do their jobs for them and fix it after the fact, just disappointing that THOR didn't seem to care. At this point it's water under the bridge and we're loving the van, hope you are too.
I like the prices on these vs comparable alternatives.
Yes the price is attractive in comparison, even if it still seems expensive. Just be aware of the build issues and that it may be more of a project than one would expect.
For $150K rig THOR didn't pay attention to detail! Thanks for review. I'll stay away from this.
Great review.... I'd get rid of the Microwave and convert the area to storage...or just replace the inverter!
Thanks. Replacing the inverter would be fairly simple, but unsurprisingly Thor used the smallest-possible gauge of wire from the battery to the inverter. A larger inverter would require thicker wires and replacing them would take considerable work. The 1000W inverter is just barely enough to run the 950W microwave and we do use it that way for simple things like warming up leftovers, but the voltage drop in the DC supply wires means that the inverter will shut off if the battery is below about 75% charge.
good luck with your new Sprinter! thanks for sharing, will follow and subscribe
Thanks 👍
Great video. Home looks great
WOW seems like a lot of fixes and fails for an expensive van ! I'd get rid of the bike rack and A/C , put a spare &carrier and ladder on the back , upgrade the solar , lipofe batteries , bigger inverter , roof vent in the back , as well as the numerous items you mentioned , just seems like there's a ton of stuff that's less than acceptable , in my opinion 👍😎
If I ever get another camper van I would go with a full custom solution so I can make all the design choices. From what I have seen Advanced RV would be a solid choice, though you have to be prepared to fork over a lot more cash and wait a lot longer vs. a mass-produced brand. One advantage of buying something that's functional (okay barely functional) and modifying it later is that we can keep on camping in between upgrades.
Thanks, great video, hopefully buying one tomorrow!
Good, I hope I helped set realistic expectations. I don't regret buying the 19P at all, and I don't think you will either as long as you're prepared to deal with some issues. So far they've all been relatively minor issues for us and we really enjoy the van.
Did you get your unit yet? My 19P is being prepped now, picking it up in less than 48 hours. SO... any additional insights are welcome.
Thanks a lot he did a great job actually
Great tour of the camper. My wife and I bought the Tranquility 19P about 2 months ago. We have the same issues that you are having, from the drawers sliding open to the water filter/pump being inadequately attached. We live in Southern California and have camped/boondocked in 100 degree heat. The fridge worked great as did the air conditioning and generator. The Mercedes van runs great, too. No issues climbing a 7500 foot mountain range. Not sure if you used the back spray port yet, but ours wasn’t working when we tried it. Took it apart, and found that too much hose was in that metal black box the spray port is attached to. The hose kinked up enough so that no water came through. I’m curious if you have the same trouble. We are trying to figure out how to fix it without ripping out the inside where the hose comes from near the hot water heater or splicing the hose. Funny, you mentioned you had a truck camper before this. We had a Northern Lite truck camper and it was awesome. Would have kept it along with the Ram 3500 but it wouldn’t fit on our lot here in SoCal when we moved from the east coast 3 years ago.
That kind of heat could certainly change my opinion about A/C and generators! Glad to know the it can handle the heat if necessary, but so far our temps in Michigan have been very moderate and we're not likely to go anyplace warmer in the summer. I used our back spray port when I flushed the water system and it seems to work fine. Personally I think I would replace the entire hose rather than adding a splice. Also, I noticed that the "low point drain" valves on the driver's side just have little PEX elbows on them that could be easily replaced by hose connectors. That would give an alternative place to get outside water - and unlike the back port it has both hot and cold, plus it would work with all the doors shut.
Hi, We have the Tranquility 19P also and have the same issues and a few others, our biggest issues is the bed and the side seat pullout bracket, on our unit the brackets sits very high and when you are sleeping you feel the metal bracket and it hurts even with a 3-inch foam mattress pad, i need THOR to fix this. In the shop right now with voltage overload we think coming from the fan motor, when the engine was turned on the fan would not open or close and got the voltage overload on the screen. But as we are waiting for the fan motor to come in to get replaced I got the voltage overload again when the battery discount was on and solar was showing full. As for the outside shower hose we had the same issue and instead of having them fix it which may have taken forever since the hose was way too long ,and I could not get the kink out to get it to work right so I off the cover and make the hole bigger so now it just sits in box and when i need to use it (and i do for surfing) i just pull it out and hook it up works fine now. Overall happy hoping to get it back from the shop tomorrow for the first longest 6 day trip.
@@tomaros11 Thanks for the reply. We did think about leaving the spray port loose in the box and may have to for the same reason your saying…could take forever to fix plus we are 2 hour drive each way from La Mesa/San Diego. When we get a few more items that need fixing and need to take it to the dealer, thats when we’ll address it. As far as the fan motor, are you talking about the kitchen ceiling exhaust fan? I noticed that you can’t raise or lower the plastic roof cover with the van engine running. The iPad thing where the raise and lower button/switch is has a warning notice come on that says this is a normal function. I guess its a safety issue? I haven’t noticed any solar voltage overload but will double check. I’m not familiar with the solar power system yet but trying to learn. I went on the solar controller companies website and checked the reading against their trouble shooting chart for the model number of the controller. It SEEMS to be working fine. And when we are camping off grid, the solar keeps the batteries charged pretty well for a few days with the fridge running all the time though I do have to run the generator for awhile to help charge it up to peak after those few days. We also have that bracket issue in the bed, but just put a mattress topper on and it works fine. Though I would like to get that issue addressed too, so its on the list. But overall, very happy so far with the van. We did look at a Revel. For the extra 60K it would have cost for the Revel, I’ll deal with the (so far) minor issues. Though I would have liked to have gotten the lithium package.
@@BrainRight Thanks for the advice with the low point drain valves. I will go that route but will definitely get the spray port to work properly. I’m the type of person that can’t leave that not working, lol. And I agree about not splicing the hose. Probably couldn’t sleep at night:). Again, thanks for the great video and look forward others.
Just got a Tranquility 19P, I need to add a latch system to close the bathroom doors.
We are much happier with the doors removed, as it's easier to move past each other in the van and the curtain works fine for privacy. I'm sure some people would prefer solid doors though.
Extremely extremely helpful. First timer here. Have you done other reviews??
Glad you found it helpful. My videos generally focus more on my projects so I don't have any other similar reviews, though I do have a few more about the van and our (mis)adventures with it.
Yeah, for what you pay for a class b camper van, you shouldn’t have to fix anything. Thanks for the sharing your video.
Wondering how much were they selling for 1 yr ago?
General RV are snake oil sellers. Go to the dealers that handle the other model. General stole my warranty awning, yes it’s theft because I paid for it as part of the vehicle. General won’t even return calls to the manufacturer, Thor. Props to Thor for working with me though not finished with the BS.
Thanks, will follow your “Run Silent” solutions, the noise can be maddening.
Does the drivers front seat fully swivel to face the rear, or is it impeded by the cabinet behind? We’re considering a system to sleep the kids that requires a full swivel on both drivers and passenger seats. Thanks!
I was stuck between this rig and the revel. But decided to go with the patriot.
I'm going through the same shopping questions. Really like the Patriot. What ultimately sold you on the Patriot?
Great review
I purchased a 2022 Thor Sanctuary on July 29th. It is a nice-looking van at an attractive price compared to the competition. I bought it happily and watched this video. I thought all the comments and suggestions made were very accurate. The quality details that are talked about here should have been a quality cue. Unfortunately, my 2022 Sanctuary is particularly poorly assembled, and the entire cabinets above the kitchen and bed came down crashing while driving on a perfectly smooth highway 2 weeks later. I did not even have a chance to try the 4 wheel drive feature. Service told me that the screws were not strong enough. Now I am dealing with the unpleasant experience to ensure that customer service at Thor and my dealer in Ashland, Virginia, do the fair thing and fix the problems in a courteous and timely manner. The van has been in service for four weeks and counting; not all parts have been ordered yet, disappointing follow-up. We canceled all our 2021 vacations and are waiting without a timeline. I have learned that checking the quality of the after-sales service you will receive is essential; it is a nightmare here. I regret not spending more for a more established and proven brand for a 4 by 4 Sprinter van.
Pascal, I'm so sorry to hear about your cabinet failure, and even more sorry that I didn't pay more attention to it because our kitchen cabinets just fell off too. I will be featuring that in an upcoming video! This is clearly a defect in workmanship and not an isolated case. The actual problem is that the top screws aren't LONG enough - they barely dimpled the sheet metal into which they were meant to penetrate. So nearly all the weight was being carried by a few screws into the side wall along the bottom, and the screws along the top were just in thin plywood. We got lucky because I had added a bracket on the front to stop it from squeaking (hint - if it squeaks then it's not held up well enough), and that bracket held so it didn't crush the kitchen unit and the back soft-landed on the couch. It still made for an interesting time since we were hundreds of miles from home so I had to improvise a repair with ratchet straps in order to finish the trip. I will be fixing this myself since I don't trust the dealer to do it right. Video coming soon.
@@BrainRight I am so sorry it happened to you as well. Your review was excellent. The same problem here. The dealer went to home depot to buy the proper screws. They replaced the screws on both sides. We also canceled our vacations and secured the cabinets the best we could to go home from Ohio to Virginia. The kids were seating below the cabinets the day before. I was very disappointed by Thor's behavior. They did not own the problem and were arguing with the dealer about repair hours instead of offering solutions. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to your story. It is concerning, someone is going to get hurt if it is not fixed.
@@pascalfernandez3674 I'm glad I read this. If I get one, which I still may, the first thing Ill do is put longer screws in the cabinets.
Very nice review. Thanks. Some pluses and some not so good. But, it seems you can at least get one.
Thanks, glad you found it useful. And yes, being able to actually get one is it's biggest selling point - despite the fact that it may be a project to get it all working right.
You could put up a decorative outer shower curtain in place of the doors.
Not a bad idea. We've been using just the inner shower curtain and it's okay, but a little more room wouldn't hurt.
The bathroom caulking was horrendous. We have issues of it peeling off. How is yours holding up?
Mine too, looks like a kid caulked it 😅
Thank you.
I love how they can’t manage to put info/warning stickers on straight when selling you a 6 figure van. Same thing happened on my Winnebago.
I won't defend Thor by saying others are similar, but build quality issues seem to be plaguing every brand of mass-produced RV these days. The custom-built rigs may have better attention to detail but they all seem to have very long lead times so there's no easy answer.
@@BrainRight Build quality was especially bad during the Covid pandemic. Top to bottom. I found a new 2022 Sanctuary like yours for $110k. Yes, its a 4x4. But Jesus with all the quality issues it's hard to pull the trigger.
I am sticking with my original order - Storyteller Overland.
I doubt you'll be disappointed, the Storytellers look really nice.
I hope you got last year prices
Did the door fall off when you opened it?
Great video. Colorado like Michigan is cold in the winter. Was told by Thor to keep the House battery between 50-80%. Temperature of 15 degrees last night took battery from 99% to 87% with everything turned off. Does you battery drain that quickly when just parked in your driveway overnight? Thanks ! John
My van has a propane generator and two 100AH AGM batteries, which work well in cold weather without self-discharging. All the newer Thor vans have lithium battery banks which have much higher capacity but cannot operate in very cold temperatures so the system has a battery heater to keep them warm, and that drains the batteries. Lithium has the advantages of much higher specific energy (kWh per kilogram) and longer lifetime, whereas AGM batteries have much lower cost per kWh and work well in cold temperatures, but their lower specific energy means it's not very practical to carry a large-capacity battery bank due to the weight. If you want to use a lithium system in cold weather you'll probably want to connect shore power to keep it charged up.
Thank you Brian, for the really informative video.
I am planning to get one next couple of weeks. I wanted to know how the system will behave in cold conditions. Where are the storage tanks located? Can we operate the van in freezing weather?
I don't have experience using it in freezing weather but it's designed to handle some cold. The fresh water tank is inside, behind the driver's seat. The graywater tank is underneath and has a heater blanket below it, so it should be okay if you turn that heater on - however I wouldn't want to run that on batteries alone for very long because it will drain the batteries. I wouldn't worry about it if temps are just a little below freezing at night. The blackwater tank is a 5 gallon cassette and is inside the van, but it's isolated and has an outside door so it could freeze in very cold temps.
For true freezing conditions I will winterize all the plumbing, and of course it's still possible to camp that way but less convenient. We have used the Truma furnace on a couple of cool nights and it's nearly silent.
Not cold cold climate. The propane will freeze. The tank heaters are for temperate areas for when you didn’t get around to winterizing then a cold spell sets in.
Great honest review...
Too bad about some of fit and finish.
For the price these issues shouldn't be.
Thanks, I agree. It's a good camper after I've fixed a lot of things, but I shouldn't have to.
Just curious as to why you purchased this particular van since you seem to have a lot of complaints and dislikes?
We looked at many different options and none were perfect. We liked the floorplan of this van and it had the distinct advantages of actually being available now, and being about $40k less expensive than most alternatives we would consider. I really don't have any big complaints, just a lot of little ones that I knew I could address in a short time. So all things being a compromise, this seemed like the best balance of tradeoffs for us. I tried not to complain too much in the video, but also didn't want to present only the good aspects because it does have some weaknesses that people should be aware of. Most would be so easy to fix (e.g. things that rattle or come open) that I hope Thor will take notice and improve them.
how loud is the generator? It is something you can run in 'no generator' places?
It's one of the quietest generators I've heard in an RV, but it still sounds like a generator and wouldn't be appropriate where generators are prohibited.
Thank your for your review..very enlightening...curious as to whether the shower will be cramped for a big fella.
I am 6' tall and 150 pounds and it's adequate but not overly roomy for me. The shower floor is above the van floor so it's less than 6' inside and I cannot stand upright but would sit to shower. I don't think you'll find a much bigger shower in any van of this size, and many are smaller. A big fella could probably make it work, but might be happier with an outside shower.
That ‘good deal’ is a Hot Mess. Just looking at the random exterior ports had my eyes rolling. And then the interior…. Layout is its best feature. Shareholders take note.
Carry the ladder you’ll need it push the reset the Winegard because Thor didn’t install an off switch for resetting the router.
It is easier to momentarily shut off the main battery switch, which will also interrupt power to the Winegard.
I’ve watched many van builds from small local builders who would put this rig to shame for $150,000. The advantage of the big companies have is dealers can sell their product with a 20 year loan, whereas most of the local builders don’t offer any financing. A rig from an RV dealer might be $900 or $1000 a month, which is less than the monthly Mercedes loan payment for just the vehicle, without anything built into it.
Agreed that a mass-produced RV will never compete with custom builders on quality, just as custom builders will never compete with mass producers on speed and availability. For us the advantage was that we could start using it a year or more sooner, even if it meant tolerating mass-produced quality or lack thereof.
He should have watched this video before buying it.
The thing I just do not like about these small campers other than the price. They do not think about how to use the space. I spent 20 years in the Navy. 16 years aboard Navy ships. They should get advice from those who use the campers. Thanks
I'm not in the habit of defending Thor, but I can understand most of their design choices even if I don't like them. They're selling these mass-produced RVs through places like General RV where most shoppers have expectations that differ from mine and yours. I'm willing to adapt it to my needs in exchange for a much shorter lead time and lower (though still exorbitant) price point, but it's a big tradeoff vs. having a fully custom van built exactly as I'd want it. Maybe I'll go that route sometime in the future.
Hello, thank you for a great review. I am currently looking around for an RV for my family, and Roadtrek Agile SS (or American Coach Patriot, both 19' long) has caught my eye. I am wondering, did you ever look at those, do you have any comments, pros/cons as you compare yours to those models? Cheers!
There's no dealer in my area that carries either of these so it would have been a significant drive for me just to look at one and they weren't on my short list, but they look nice on their websites. I would definitely consider either of these if there were a dealer nearby.
@@BrainRight Thank you Brian for taking the time and getting back. Talking about my shortlist: Roadtrek Agile SS (there is Chassis shortage per dealer I talked today), Wingamm Oasi 610 (Italian - - - arriving in the US next year), and may be Oasi 540 (I would buy both if I could affort it...lol). American Coach Patriot is awesome but wife said not to that :)
Thanks again!
@@taurusview9 Why did your wife nix the Patriot?
@@Silverado62 Patriot has the bathroom and the whole assembly right behind the driver, as a result, the driver is kinda sorta concealed from folks sitting in the lounge area. Roadtrek set up is just the opposite and from lounge to driver is a clear line of sight. Wife says, she would feel alone if she was sitting in the back and me hidden behind the bathroom.
That is the logic and I have no choice but comply :)
If Wingamm Oasi 610 has the right specs, I think that is the one, it is on Ram Promaster Chassis, and that Cahssis currently does not have some of the features I like to see.....waiting game for now...thanks!
Very thoughtful review. How did you engage the 4 wheel drive system and how well does it work offroad?
Hi, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. We've used it off-road quite a bit now and the 4WD system works fairly well in most situations, but it struggles in sand where we need to disable the Electronic Stability Program or it bogs down. And the differential braking that's supposed to send power to the wheels with traction is only so-so, probably helps a bit but certainly nothing like a locking differential.
Thor website states that the tranquility and the sanctuary comes with 400 amp hour battery and 3000 watt inverter as standard. Why did you get less?
It's interesting that they now list that as 'S' which I assume means 'standard', and no longer mention the generator. When I bought mine the standard configuration was with a 200AH AGM battery bank plus a propane generator, which is what I have, and the 400AH lithium package was a $12K option that replaced the generator and had a larger 3KW inverter. My dealer only ordered the generator version so that was all they had in stock or coming soon, and that's what I have. Perhaps it's been discontinued and all models have lithium now. There are definitely trade-offs between the two so I don't see it as a cut-and-dried choice but from the web site it looks like it's no longer a choice.
would you buy the Thor again? or workmanship too poor? what 4x4 would you buy instead?
I honestly (and perhaps surprisingly) don't regret getting the Thor, but I wouldn't buy another one. If I were to buy another van I'd probably get the same Sprinter 2500 4x4 chassis but as a bare van, and build out the interior myself. That's probably not a good option for most people though, so for a prebuilt RV I'd suggest the Revel. With a much larger budget and wait time I'd suggest a custom van from a builder such as Advanced RV.
Great walkthrough, done want to sound mean but the fit-out is appalling. You will knock it into shape in no time though.
Yes it's frustrating to have lots of little things that aren't quite right, but so far they have all been minor and easily corrected. I could have had the dealer do it but it's less work for me to just fix it. And honestly I've yet to see an RV that started out perfect, just seems to be how it goes.
Great video! Does adaptive cruise control come as a standard feature? How about lane-keeping, active braking, and other safety features that Revel has. Thanks!
Thanks, yes these all came standard on the Sanctuary that we purchased. Thor doesn't specifically list them on their website (or they didn't when last I looked), so it's possible that they may have some sprinters without these features. The adaptive cruise is great for long trips, but I find the lane-keeping warnings annoying and unfortunately there's no straightforward way to turn it off permanently so I have to shut it off every time we start.
What drone, camera and mic do you use?
I shot this video with the DJI Pocket 2 gimbal using just its built-in mics. I'm pretty happy with the sound quality considering the simplicity and size of those microphones, and didn't do any post-processing on the audio except to normalize the volume. Some shots have a bit of 60 Hz hum from a nearby transformer that I probably could have filtered out. The drone shots are with a Mavic Mini.
Curious as to why you would by something you’d have to modify rather than custom build to your liking.
The main reason is that a fully custom build (either DIY or from a company like Sportsmobile) takes a long time, and my wife has some shoulder issues that make our other camping options no longer practical for us. So it's either stay home for a year, or compromise with an off-the-shelf van plus a week or two of work to improve it. We might consider a full custom build at some point but in the meantime we are out enjoying this van and it's working well for us.
Can you tell me the MSRP and what you actually paid?
I am looking at on right now but afraid they might be trying to the advantage of the COVID shortage of VANS and dealers hiking the price up.
I paid about $130K, and MSRP is a bit higher but I think it may have gone up (though not much) since I bought it. Supply and demand is definitely at work.
I know you said you dont use the AC, but does is require you to be on generator or shore power to use? IOW, can it be run off battery only?
Yes the air conditioner requires generator or shore power. Even if the inverter were powerful enough to run it (which it is not), the batteries could only run it for about an hour so it wouldn't be very useful.
Great honest unbiased review. Thor is building poorly engineered and poor quality products which you have to modify to make them usable. Definitely not getting what you paid for.
The problems I showed in this video were pretty minor compared to the cabinet collapse that happened later. I don't really feel I got what I paid for, but we made the best of it and after a lot of work it's a great solution for us as far the living space and usability.
@@BrainRight Thanks to your video I backed off buying any Thor product and its not just Thor, its just about every RV brand out there.
BATHROOM???
Can three people sleep on the bed if they are 5'8" and shorter?
The bed is roughly 6 feet wide so it depends on the people, but I would think so if they're on the small side.
Is it insulated-including the doors? Cheers great review
Thanks. Now that I've seen inside some of the structure I can say that yes it's insulated, but the insulation isn't all that great. Looks like fiberglass batting stuffed into some of the larger cavities, and Reflectix-style insulation in some areas. We have camped when it got down around 40F at night and were very comfortable, with seemingly low propane use and the furnace is extremely quiet. I would expect it to be okay in sub-freezing weather, but lower propane use could be achieved with better insulation.
Which magnets did you upgrade your drawers too
I didn't change the ones that came with the van, just added new ones next to them so there's two magnets on each drawer. The new ones are nothing special, just ones that I had on hand, but with double the magnets it's about double the force holding them closed.
@@BrainRight appreciate the feedback
nice tour. how many seatbelts are in the back?
There are 3 seatbelts on the back bench so we can carry 3 additional passengers.
What do you get for mpg may I ask
It depends on wind and road conditions and how we drive of course, but we usually average about 15 MPG with mostly highway driving.
good walk through, lots of errors on behalf of Thore.
True but so far it's mostly been little stuff, and behind us already.
I am in the market for a new camper van ; I believe tranquility 19p and 19l can be had for ~135k (I like 19L better due to nice organized garaje)
my question:
if you had to do it all over again, would you purchase this for 135k or would move to revel for 150k?
My fav is STO beast but I believe there is a long waiting list
thanks in advanced
ps: I checked in person both tranquility (19p and 19L) and revel, and was unimpressed by the quality and attention to details ; kind of disappointed that this can happen with these expensive rigs
The latest price for the Revel starts around $175K and goes higher with options so it's a significant difference, and they are very hard to find (at least in this area) so there's a significant wait as well. I like some things about the Revel but I much prefer the rear dining/living area of the 19P, although one can add aftermarket rear seating for the Revel. I also much prefer the north-south sleeping arrangement of the 19P, since it means one person doesn't have to crawl over the other to get up at night. The bed is also lower in the 19P, which works better for us. None of this is to say that the Revel is bad, just not as good a fit for our needs. The 19L is close to the Revel in layout so we prefer the 19P, but it does have significantly less storage in the rear.
Look @ Sportsmobile!
@@BrainRight Great point about the advantage of North/South sleeping!
Great video but why is there a sewer hose for a camper with a cassette toilet? Lol
The hose is for graywater. The sinks and shower drain into a 20-gallon graywater tank. However there's no reason it needs to be 3 inches in diameter; a short garden hose is adequate and easier to carry.
Brian does this have Bug Screens for the back door and side door?
Yes they attach with Velcro. We haven't used them yet but it looks like they will work okay. The main down side is that they're cumbersome to store when not in use.
@@BrainRight Thanks I saw another video from a dealer that went through one and yes they are Velcro, I wish they had magnetic clasp for the main door. 😢 I noticed that the doors on bathroom didn't appear to have the same issues as yours. But I'm 99% sure that's the model I will get. Just take off the stupid magazine racks! What is this 1980?
I was just about to look up possibly replacing the microwave with a convection microwave. But I'll probably just bring a small toaster oven. I noticed they have an update to 3kw inverter but they take the gen away? I assume the microwave runs only on the gen. But considering how short of time the microwave runs it's fine IMO
One more question if you will.
I assume the TV is not smart from what you Said, but the thing on the top is it a TV antenna? Or a WiFi extender or both?
Thanks. ( I'm hoping to order next spring) thank you so much!
@@RoadTripRuss The 3kW inverter comes with the lithium package, where the batteries take the place of the generator. That inverter should run the microwave fine, and even the A/C for a short time.
The original TV was very basic and I replaced it with a Vizio smart TV. The Winegard unit on top is a TV antenna plus a Wifi hotspot that can connect to a nearby Wifi network or to a wireless phone network with a data plan. We find that it often pulls in a wireless signal when our phones cannot, so we can get Internet but it's just a wifi hotspot and not also a phone signal booster.
Those flaws you mentioned are unacceptable given the price of the vehicle 😠
Where did you buy that and for how much?
The "Sanctuary" models like mine are sold exclusively by General RV, whereas the identical "Tranquility" models are sold by other dealers. The pricing varies depending on demand and options but mine was about $130K.
What is the average cost for this rig? Thanks Dave
MSRP from Thor is $148,680 and dealers typically sell around 10% below that. It still seems like a lot of money for a small camper, but it's less expensive than some competing brands.
What engine is in this Sprinter ?
This has the 3.0L V6 diesel.
I see on Thor’s website that off-road tires are offered as an option. Does this van have that option?
Yes the salesman at General RV said they only order them with the off-road tire option because everybody wants that. The tires are BF Goodrich T/A KO2's which get pretty good reviews for overlanding but I don't have much experience with them yet. Unfortunately this option adds an exorbitant $2093 over the base price! If it came with the standard tires it would have cost me exactly $893 to have Belle Tire install four KO2's identical to what I got (that's their actual installed price, I just checked) and then I could have sold the brand-new take-off tires for about $400 so it would only have cost me about $500 instead of $2093. To say that Thor is price gouging is an understatement.
@@BrainRight the cost includes different wheels as well though. I noticed yours has the standard Mercedes rims and then they added the tires? I have a unit on order with the tire and wheel package but have been thinking about deleting it after reading reviews that they vibrate at 60mph+. Are you certain you do not have the stock setup? I see the BFG’s but on stock wheels so it is confusing. 🤔
@@aranfontaine3174 where have you seen reviews about these wheels vibrating over 60 mph? Thanks.
@@Tozniak not your rims, the optional rims and tires of the off-road package. Yours seems to have the optional tires but doesn't have the rims I am referring to.
On the Facebook Group 3 people have mentioned it.
Ours came with the "off-road tires" option but I haven't found anywhere that Thor specifies precisely what that is. They are the BFG KO2s so yes they are off-road tires, but they are just standard OEM steel rims. I think I saw some aftermarket rims on another unit we looked at (which was already sold) so I'm thinking that for some reason I just got stuck with plain rims instead. Personally I'm okay with that, except for getting charged over $2K just for a set of 4 tires, as I'm more concerned with function and I'm glad to not have the vibration issue.
How does this compare to Winnebago Revel?
The biggest difference is the floorplan, and the Sanctuary 19L is closer to the Revel in that regard. We prefer the floorplan of the 19P for its rear living space, plus the bed is lower so it's easier to get into and you sleep north-south so one person can get up at night without crawling over the other; the Revel and 19L have east-west sleeping with bump-outs to make the van a bit wider in back. The Revel has a powered lift bed that can be raised to make a rear cargo area, but the 19L does not although it still has more storage in back than the 19P. The build quality of the Revel is generally better, but it's not perfect by any means and it costs about 40% more.
@@BrainRight I'm 6'2" so I will generally prefer n-s sleeping. Even with those bulges on the Revel, it will be tight. I like something that I can hit the road and go where the wind takes me. "Oh my, I'm in the middle of Alberta, must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque." I'm few years away from a purchase, so starting my research early.
The bathroom is totally useless. Medical cabinet gets in the way. Why do you need one. When we go horseback riding we take our up to the mountains. We made an outdoor shower. It serves the purpose just fine. Thanks
We actually carry a lot of stuff in the medicine cabinet now that I added some tray-style shelves to hold things. But I agree the space could have been used better, and we have yet to use the shower as a shower. It does hold plenty of our gear though, and sometimes we camp in areas where an outdoor shower would not be very practical.
As much money as you paid.you.shouldn't have had to do as many repairs..that's ridiculous..love the van..it's 4x4 but what a pain in the butt😔
Wow, a lot of things need to be fixed on a brand new $160,000 van. That is ridiculous.
Actually it was only $130,000 so it is only 81% as ridiculous as you thought. :-) But yes, still ridiculous.
great review, but thor really has pretty shitty workmanship! Been reading a lot of complain about things that break right off the lot.
It seems to be common with Thor, and I can't compare them to other manufacturers except to say that I've read about problems with most other brands too. To be fair, none of the problems I've encountered have been major, just lots of little annoyances.
I just buy the 19P with the Lithium package at Hershey show I am very disappointed with the quality of this product I can't mention all of them, so many. Thor and many of that RV manufacturers are very locky that Toyota or Honda don't build RV's for the US otherwise they will be out of business. When you call Thor customer care they claim they are tech support but they have no clue of anything. One of many things wrong with mine the propane regulator was hanging with a plastic tide from part of the chassis, every wire and pipe inside the coach was loose nothing was secure, and many more things. Special note, the only reason I buy mine is that I only paid $123,000.00 OTD.
It seems to be a pervasive problem in the RV industry these days. Demand is so high and supply so low that they have little incentive to improve the quality or even to fix things that are wrong. The more expensive brands may be somewhat better but are not without problems. We shouldn't have to fix these things ourselves but that's how it is, and despite all the annoyances I'm still glad we bought the van because we've had a lot of fun with it. I hope yours works out well for you once the problems are straightened out.
5:29 I'm done. Shitty looking goo on roof, low hanging gray water valve and generator ruining 4x4 ground clearance is too much !
all good sad to put an AC that take off all the idéologie of off grid camping.... to energyvore
It wouldn't be my choice to have the AC, but I can understand why they included one since they sell to a broad market. Even though it's an energyvore it may be a reasonable tradeoff for those who live in much hotter climates than I do.
It’s such a shame that you spent so much money to buy an RV that you have to spend more money just to improve it
Yes all things have tradeoffs, and in the end it cost me far less money than competing models and I like the end result better, plus I have it much sooner.
Sounds like it was designed by people that never went camping.
One does have to wonder, but I think it's just that "camping" means so many different things to different people. Most of Thor's campers seem to be targeted at typical full-service campground users driving mostly on paved roads, and not at back-woods primitive camping which is what we like. It's really their first small 4x4 motor home that can get into more remote places so despite being one of the biggest camper manufacturers, they don't seem to have much experience with this style of camping. Fortunately I can work around most of its shortcomings but I wish I didn't have to. Of course there are many other options such as custom van conversions but lead times often run well over a year these days.
You spent so much money on this van what a shame that you have to fix and change anything. Thor should be responsible not you .
I like the small size of the van itself but the inside of those Thor vans are cheaply made. A piece of junk. I've seen a lot of diy vans made a heck of a lot way better made than these vans. I was interested in these Thor vans but not interested at all anymore since seeing a lot of reviews on them. A pure waste of money.
The build quality may be adequate for driving on smooth roads and camping at a KOA, but not for any serious off-road travel. I've had to fix a lot of things so I'd agree, not the best option out there. Nevertheless we've had a lot of fun with it and it's become a solid off-road camper that's well suited to our needs after a fair amount of work and customization. Next time I'd opt for a full custom build.
Honestly seems like poor quality. Shame on Thor.
I won't defend Thor, but I'm reading similar stories about many different RV brands recently. It seems that demand is so high and skilled labor in such short supply that quality has tanked across the industry. I wish I didn't have to fix things but glad I have the ability so I can still go camping!