2019 Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31Y Review

RVGuide.com
by RVGuide.com

The 2019 Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31Y offers an alternative to flying for a larger family that likes to travel. It has seat belts for seven people and sleeping space for eight.


Of the dozen Cheateau floorplans available, the Chateau 31Y is one of the larger ones. It has a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,500 lbs and a gross combined weight rating of 22,000 lbs. Without the rear ladder, it measures 31’3” long, 11’2” with the AC unit, and 99” wide without the mirrors. It has a fuel capacity of 55 gallons, a fresh water capacity of 40 gallons, and both the black and gray water tanks can hold 28 gallons.


COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Nexus Phantom 31P


Built on a Ford E50 chassis, the Chateau 31Y has a 6.8L Triton V10 engine with 305HP and 420 lb-ft of torque. There’s plenty of exterior storage including an incredibly large compartment that you can access from both sides of the motorhome as well as the back. Inside the compartment, there’s a portable picnic table, and sunken bins with drains that can used as coolers. The bin lids are flush to the compartment floor.


The motor coach is solar panel ready and also has an exterior shower. Heated, remote exterior mirrors with integrated side view cameras are activated when you put your turn signals on. The 16’ awning has LED lighting, and you have the option of adding an exterior 32” television on a swivel bracket, with a Bluetooth sound bar and radio.


Inside, the Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31Y has a comfortable 7’ interior ceiling height and high-sheen cabinetry with nickel-finish hardware.

In the cabin area, there’s a touchscreen dash radio, in-dash USB and 110V charging ports, and a back-up monitor with integrated camera. When you’re not on the road, the captain’s chairs swivel around to create more living room seating. The queen-size cab-over bunk has an optional child safety net.


COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Winnebago Navion 24D


Moving back into the living area, a leatherette jackknife sofa has three seat belts and cup holders along the back. The dining booth is directly across from the sofa, creating a nice conversation area. There are two more (front-facing) seat belts in the dining booth, more cup holders in the tabletop, as well as under-bench storage space. Both the sofa and dining booth convert to sleeping space for two. A 40” TV with BluRay player can be viewed from the captain’s chairs, the sofa, and the rear-facing booth bench.

The kitchen has solid surface countertop with a pop-up countertop outlet and charging center for all your electronics. The large stainless steel sink has covers to make more prep surface, and there’s a residential high-rise pull-down faucet. For cooking, there’s a 30” convection microwave oven, a two-burner gas cooktop as well as an induction cooktop. The double-door, six-cubic-foot RV refrigerator runs off both gas and electric. A full-height pantry includes shelves and pullout drawers so you don’t need to worry about your canned good sliding around while you’re driving.


COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Jayco Redhawk 26XD


The bathroom has a space saving pocket door, glass-door shower, raised porcelain foot-flush toilet, and solid surface counter with a stainless steel sink. For storage, there’s a mirrored medicine cabinet, linen cupboard, and under sink space.

The motor home’s control panel is just outside the bedroom so you can monitor tank levels, control temperature, and use the optional automatic leveling jacks all from one spot. Directly across, there’s a mirrored shirt wardrobe and two big drawers. In the bedroom itself, there are over-bed cabinets, and a mirrored shirt wardrobe with more drawers on each side of the walk-around Queen bed, as well nightstands, outlets, and USB charging stations. Windows on each side of the bedroom and a three-speed fan helps keep things comfortable during hot summer months. There’s a 32” television for catching a show before lights-out.


The Thor Motor Coach Chateau 31Y starts at $111, 600. For more details, visit thormotorcoach.com.

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