Thor's cheap B+ camper upsizes van life to mini-motorhome proportions

Since 2019, Thor Industries has been the world's largest RV manufacturer thanks in no small part to its purchase of European giant Erwin Hymer Group. Following the lead of its acquired European brands (not to mention American market trends), Thor has spent much of that same time period expanding out its lineup of camper vans, sold under its eponymous motor coach brand and other group marques. Now it's following another cue from Europe in moving further into the Class B+ segment of motorhomes that run slightly larger than vans without giving up flexibility. The all-new Ford-powered Rize+ debuts as a nimble, broad-shouldered shuttle-home for adventure-curious road-trippers and semi-permanent nomads.

Thor Motor Coach rapidly grew out its lineup of camper vans while the Class B segment was running white hot through much of the 2020s. The brand went from having a 2019 camper van line of exactly zero models to building out a 2026 family of eight different camper van models with 26 floor plan options. It all started with the Sequence van the company previewed in 2019 ahead of an MY2020 launch.

Nothing lasts forever, though, so as the RV market hit the brakes hard, Thor and its competitors began tweaking their product offerings to attract those customers who remain in "buy" mode. And one reliable way of making any product more desirable is by increasing its value proposition, offering more of what people want for less price. In this case, RV manufacturers are starting to package the lower buy-in pricing and increased interior space of Class C motorhomes into compact, flexible footprints more akin to camper vans.

In other words, they're pushing a new generation of Class B+ motorhomes, versatile 'tweeners that can meet the needs of many different types of buyers: first-time RV owners, off-road adventurers with loads of gear, couples, families and more. In place of the fixed spaces of B+ and C motorhomes of old, this new generation relies more on camper van-inspired convertible spaces and furniture.

With that market backdrop in mind, the Rize+ launches as Thor's answer to the Winnebago's own new, affordable Class B+ series – the Elora/Resa. And since Winnebago already laid all its cards on the table, Thor uses the launch as an opportunity to undercut Winnebago's offfering, both in terms of manufacturer pricing and sizing.

The Rize+ measures in at the same 19.7 feet (6 m) length as some of Thor Motor Coach's mid-length camper vans, making for a nimbler, more maneuverable van-like driving and parking experience than big, long, bulky Class C products can ever offer. Instead of following Winnebago's lead with a common Ram Promaster chassis, Thor reaches for the Ford E-Series chassis. But unlike its competition at Forest River, it doesn't sculpt a sleek, modernized compact Class A from the stripped chassis up, instead leaning into the boxy styling of the cab on the E-Series Cutaway Chassis.

Beyond the sculpted fairing above the cab, Thor's Rize+ RV module is as boxy as the Ford nose, increasing livable volume. At 7.1 feet (216 cm) wide, not including the side mirrors, it measures 4 inches (10 cm) wider than Thor's camper vans and doesn't taper inward toward the roof, further maximizing interior volume. Thor's aluminum tube-framed vacu-bonded composite construction isn't as effortlessly sleek and stylish as something like Rossmönster's more sculpted Loft motorhome, but it makes for a handsome, well-proportioned little motorhome in its own right, an RV that looks ready to get lost and stay there.

Thor keeps things simpler than its aforementioned rivals at Coachmen and Winnebago, skipping the foldaway rear benches in favor of fixed vis-a-vis sofas that work as their own single beds or transform into a 52 x 82-in (132 x 208-cm) double bed.. Rize+ drivers certainly lose out on expandable garage space without folding sofas, but the center aisle between the benches still provides space for a bicycle or two, easily loaded through the rear door. A removable table turns the sofas into a dining area.

The single 18R Rize+ floor plan then sees both the kitchen block and bathroom pushed all the way forward behind the two cab seats. The wet bathroom houses a foot-activated flush toilet, sink with dedicated faucet and shower with independent wand. The kitchen across the aisle and comes includes a central sink with roll-up grated cover for drying and rinsing, portable induction cooker, electric door fridge and microwave.

The Rize+ standard features package brings together virtually everything campers will need to stay comfortable year-round: a 3,400-BTU furnace, water heater, 13,500-BTU air conditioner and 100-Ah battery-based electrical system with 100-W solar panel, 1,000-W inverter and backup generator. Fresh water carries in a 77.6-liter tank.

The two-door Ford E-350 Super Duty chassis, meanwhile, brings some serious grunt in the form of a 7.3-liter V8 with 325 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. The Rize+ only has two sleeping berths but can seat up to four people on the ride via the two cab seats and two vis-a-vis seatbelts on the rear sofas.

The Rize+ starts at an MSRP of $130,340, which is well below the price of any of Thor Motor Coach's camper vans. It's also more than $20K less than the Winnebago Elora/Resa. Like Winnebago, Thor offers a twin model: the Scope+. The two B+ models follow in the footsteps of Thor's twin Rise and Scope camper vans in featuring different interior and exterior appearance options with identical layouts and equipment. We like the short, succinct "Rize+" name better, but the whiter, brighter Scope+ interior looks nicer in photos, in our humble opinion.

The 3-minute video below provides a quick Rize+ walkthrough.

Source: Thor Motor Coach