There are some exciting new RVs rolling onto the Guaranty lot for 2016, and it’s obvious that RV manufacturers have been listening to consumers, because we’re seeing amenities and upgrades that make camping, road-tripping and tailgating better than ever. One of the exciting new models that we’ve recently brought into our inventory is Thor Motor Coach’s new Vegas RUV. This is a whole new class of vehicle—RUV stands for Recreational Utility Vehicle and offers RVers a different way of thinking about motorhomes. Essentially, the Vegas drives with the ease of an SUV, but provides all the great amenities of a motorhome, so it’s perfect for a wide variety of activities. Because of its size—just six feet longer than a typical Chevrolet Suburban—the RUV is supremely easy to drive and easy to park, which also means that RVers who would otherwise be uncomfortable driving a motorhome find the Vegas to be a whole lot of fun to steer down the road. Read on to learn more about this new style of recreational vehicle.
The Vegas RUV: Thor Quality and Long-Term Dependability
Although Thor classifies the Vegas as a Class A, the glory of an RUV is that you get the best of all worlds in one motorhome. Like a Class C or Class A motorhome, it’s built for serious camping and road-tripping, with all the quality you’ve come to expect from a Thor product. The Ford E-Series chassis and 6.8L Triton V-10 engine give you all the power and rock-solid dependability for coastal highways, long treks across the high desert or a trip over the Cascades. And this motorhome is built to last with Vacu-Bond laminated roofs, walls and floors; fully welded tubular steel floor systems; tubular aluminum sidewall cage construction and more.
Also like those bigger motorhomes, the Vegas RUV provides you with features such as heated exterior mirrors, dash workstations with 110- and 12-volt outlets, touchscreen stereo and Bluetooth systems, a Cummins Onan generator, an 8,000 lb.-trailer hitch, and upgrades such as residential style furnishings and solid surface counters.
But all of this comes in a much more compact package, making the RUV easier to maneuver in city traffic, on winding rural roads and in campgrounds. The Vegas sits lower to the ground than a typical RV and has a long wheelbase for a low center of gravity. Also, Thor has given their RUVs the ultimate in visibility, with big windshields, rear view cameras and integrated side view cameras. This makes it not only easy to drive, but gives you vastly better visibility than most SUVs, which means the Vegas is even safer for your family. In other words, you get that awesome campervan or SUV driving experience, with all the safety features to give you confidence on the highway, and you’re not giving up the comforts that make larger RVs such nice homes-away-from-home.
Vegas RUV: Options, Options, Options
Thor has thought of everything that you might need, and made sure they’re at your fingertips in the Vegas RUV. Using clever technology such as power drop-down cab-over bunks, jack knife sofas, rear twin beds that convert to a king-sized bed, removable tables, etc., the RUV provides sleeping capacity for four to five adults. By installing a crown ceiling, Thor was able to give the Vegas extra headroom, with full 82-inch ceilings, so even those folks who tower over six feet will be comfortable. And the RUVs come with 16.5’ to 18’, side-mounted, power patio awnings with integrated LED lighting, so you can extend your living space outside. There’s also plenty of storage for all your gear with 40 to 70 cubic feet of exterior MEGA Storage™ compartments.
That all comes standard, but you also have a serious host of options when it comes to the Vegas RUV. There are four floor plans, ranging from 24’ to just over 25’. You can choose from Jazzy Blue or Symphony Red exterior graphics, Indian Summer or Polished Pewter decor, and Olympic Cherry or Sydney Maple cabinetry.
The standard kitchen features a six-cubic-foot, two-door refrigerator and a three-burner gas cooktop with a convection/microwave oven. But you can opt for the model with an oven and standard microwave instead. Of course, there’s an LED TV in the living area, but you can also choose to add another TV in the bedroom, as well as a 32” exterior TV that will make your next family event the best one yet. If it starts to get too warm out, the typical Vegas RUV has a 13,500 BTU ceiling-ducted air conditioning system, but you can upgrade to a 15,000 BTU model, as well as 12-volt attic fans in the living and bedroom areas.
If you’re a three- or four-season RVer, you’ll appreciate the high-density block foam insulation that comes standard on Thor’s Vegas RUVs, but you can also add features such as heat pads for your holding tanks that will extend the time you can be out on the road or up in the mountains. So you can just kick back on your comfortable sofa with a hot toddy in your hand and happily watch the snow come down.
A Tailgater’s Dream: Perfect for Family Parties and Group Events
If you’ve been dreaming of having the right vehicle to take to the big game, of hosting the perfect tailgate, of being the place where the best party happens, then the Vegas RUV may be exactly what you’re looking for. Inside Tailgating recently gave the Vegas stellar reviews in “ Tailgating Motorhomes: An Awesome Alternative to the RV or SUV”. These are the tailgate experts who point out that, “RVs have long been considered as the pinnacle vehicle for tailgaters. If you have an RV, you have the party!” After all, you’re arriving with a built in kitchen and bathroom, a big awning that keeps everyone dry if it starts to rain, an outdoor shower for dirty feet or beer spills, and comfortable beds to put tired children down for naps. If you’re lucky, you’re also going to have that outside TV we mentioned earlier, so you and your friends can settle into your favorite camp chairs beneath your big awning, with burgers on the grill and the fun of hundreds of fans all around you, while you catch the pre-game show.
It’s really the size of the Vegas RUV that makes it the ideal tailgating motorhome. Inside Tailgating says that, “while many RV lots at venues are expanding, they still make up less than 5% of the vehicles parked on a typical game day,” so it’s a trick sometimes to find room for those big motorhomes. In an RUV, you don’t need two or three parking spots to fit your vehicle, because although it feels like you have plenty of party room on the inside, it’s not that much larger than a Suburban on the outside.
A Great Motorhome at a Great Price
The Vegas RUV fills a niche that few other motorhomes can. Like a Class B campervan, you get agility and maneuverability on the road, but because of those tall ceilings and smart use of space, you get the roomy interior of a larger motorhome. So you’ll have residential style furniture in the living room and bedrooms, a nice kitchen, a full bathroom instead of a wet bath, and a wealth of living and sleeping options that will accommodate twice as many people as you can fit in a campervan. It’s great for camping and road-trips, it’s perfect for family outings and football games, it even makes taking the kids to their sports events significantly less stressful because you’ve got everything they might need easily available. And just to make a sweet motorhome all that much better, Thor has priced the Vegas RUV to be affordable. If you thought a motorhome was beyond your budget, take a look at this great option.
If you’d like to see one of these new RUVs, come on down to Junction City and we’ll be glad to take you on a tour. And be sure to give us a call if you have any questions.
Photo: Thor Motor Coach
