This elegant new diesel-powered Type A motorhome allows RV owners to tour in style.
By Bruce W. Smith
March 2024
There are motorhomes, and then there are luxury motorhomes. Thor Motor Coach’s big Type A diesel-powered RVs fall into the latter category. The company’s newest addition to their diesel-pusher line with Italian names is the moderately priced and luxurious 2024 Riviera, which debuted last year.
A front-to-rear view of the coach’s modern, upscale interior.
“The Riviera fills that price gap between the Palazzo and the Aria perfectly,” said Jon Krider, Thor’s vice president of marketing and product development. “There were three things that we went for coming out with the Riviera: affordability, fashion, and function. I think the real key with the Riviera is we’ve put it in that sweet spot where you get all the upgrade features of our high-end Aria but in a more attractive price range.”
The three Riviera floor plans range in length from 34 to 39 feet, with pricing in the mid- to upper-$300,000 range. All three are built using the popular Freightliner XC-S straight-rail chassis with a 340-horsepower 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine. My favorite is the 38-foot-11-inch 38RB. With an MSRP starting at $375,250, this layout fits nicely between Thor’s classy Palazzo, priced around $330,000, and the elegant Aria, offered at a little more than $400,000.
FEATURE-LADEN AND FASHIONABLE
What appeals to me in the 310-square-foot, triple-slideout 38RB is that its interior looks and feels very much like a luxury apartment. It has a rear bedroom with a private full bath, a midship half bath, a power bunk up front, and a layout that can sleep six. This floor plan is convenient for couples who RV full-time or for those who occasionally take family and friends on a road trip.
A power bunk above the cockpit offers an extra sleeping area.
All seating is covered in leatherette fabric; the cabinetry throughout the coach has matte-finished rake-style doors; the drawers roll on soft-close glide rails; and the windows are covered with solar and privacy roller shades.
Front to rear, the Riveria oozes taste and functionality. This is apparent in the location of the cabinets; the selection of appliances; the placement and style of the LED lighting; the positioning of wireless chargers; the bathroom design and quality components; and the elegant, modern touches in the Riviera’s expansive kitchen, including the marble backsplash.
The 38RB’s galley, here with the Volero décor package and optional Asheville cabinetry, features contemporary residential styling.
“Our designers attend kitchen, bath, and home shows, soaking in that information and gathering new products to apply to our coaches, Krider said. “So, when people step inside a Riviera, they don’t feel like it’s 1976 again. The interiors are modern and fashionable.”
STATE-OF-THE-ART ELECTRONICS
Krider also pointed out things that can’t be seen but contribute to the comfort and entertainment aspects of the 38RB and the other Riviera floor plans. One is internet capability, as all Rivieras come equipped with Winegard’s ConnecT system. The ConnecT has three antenna sets built into its exterior dome to deliver over-the-air TV programming, a Wi-Fi hotspot, or a cellular data connection. The system supports AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, allowing consumers to choose the best options for their needs.
In the galley, a slide-out cabinet creates additional counter space.
Other new electronics in the Riviera aid the driver and greatly improve safety when traveling: blind-spot monitoring. This is a first in Thor Motor Coach Type A motorhomes, according to Krider.
“Let’s face it. You go out and buy a $25,000 car today and you get blind-spot monitoring. Now you get it in our coaches,” he noted, adding that the company has partnered with Velvac. “They’ve been in the business a long time, and their side-mirror camera technology is fantastic. It’s just like you have on your automobile.”
Another nice functionality feature in the new Riviera is the electric reel that handles the 50-amp power cord. Now you just push a button inside the compartment that holds the heavy, bulky power cord to spool it in or out. This comes in really handy during colder months when the 25- or 30-foot-long cord can be difficult to retrieve.
An electric cable reel automatically retrieves and stows the 50-amp power cord with the touch of a button.
“Having a power spool for the power cord has probably been one of our biggest requests from owners,” Krider said. “Getting it out is the easy part. It’s when it’s cold outside and the cable doesn’t want to bend to actually go back in place. Having this power cord reel, you hit the button, use your hand to guide it, and boom, it’s back in.”
Of course, when you are camping off the grid, the Riviera has the auto-start 6-kw Onan QD 6000diesel generator up front. Plus, a small 100-watt solar charging system on the roof feeds a 2,000-watt pure sine wave inverter for supplemental electrical power.
YEAR-ROUND COMFORT
Full-time RVers will find the Riviera to be a nice four-season coach. The heating and cooling systems are designed to accommodate everything from summer desert trips to winter Midwest outings. All tanks are enclosed and heated, as are the four oversized pass-through and insulated storage bays.
The 38RB includes a king-size bed.
The Riviera has dual 15,000-Btu air-conditioning units, one with a heat pump, plus a 35,000-Btu propane furnace fed by a 25-gallon tank, and an electric fireplace. This combination allows you to quickly take the chill off on a cooler day using the heat pump and/or fireplace; to operate the furnace and keep everyone toasty warm when it’s below freezing outside; or to kick on the A/Cs so everyone is comfortable when the summer temps soar.
INSIDE, OUTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT
Entertaining family and friends should never be an issue, either. The Riviera 38RB has a trio of LED smart TVs: a retractable 50-incher installed opposite the recliners, a 32-inch model in the bedroom, and a 39-inch exterior unit mounted to a swivel device (in its own compartment) on the patio-side slideout.
The well-lit rear bath.
This exterior TV is in the middle of the 20-foot-wide power awning that helps to create a nice outdoor setting for entertaining — or just sitting and enjoying the surroundings.
Another new feature on the Riviera is the entry door, which looks more modern, its front angling to match the A-pillar. The coach has a new electric entry step, too, which has a cover that can be actuated to conceal the step opening when the door is closed.
“It’s really nice, too, because it’s got a carpeted indoor-outdoor mat on top of it that you can take off, pull it out, shake it out, get all the sand and everything out, put it right back on,” Krider said. “It’s really great when you put it out when you’re driving, because then your feet don’t dangle down into the step cavity.”
SMOOTH ON-ROAD MANNERS
The Riviera also excels on the open road, according to Krider. As noted, it’s based on the Freightliner XC-Series straight-rail chassis. It has a 256-inch wheelbase, Air-Ride suspension, and a 340-horsepower Cummins 6.7-liter diesel engine with a six-speed Allison automatic transmission.
The Riviera incorporates four oversized exterior storage bays, which are insulated and illuminated.
The 700 pound-feet of torque available from the turbo-diesel engine can easily keep the Riviera rolling down the interstate at 70 mph plus, and it has more than enough torque to pull whatever is on the hitch, which is rated at 10,000 pounds. Another nice feature on the Riviera is its dual fuel fillers, one on each side, for topping off the 90-gallon fuel tank.
The 2024 Thor Motor Coach Riviera 38B delivers great value for the money, in my opinion. Its overall design is very modern, and the furnishings are upscale. The coach has plenty of power and a ton of storage space. The interior layout is nicely thought out for a discerning couple who may occasionally bring along a few friends or family members for a long weekend. It has all the latest driver safety features and a suspension that should make long-distance outings feel much shorter. This is an entry-level luxury coach — not your everyday motorhome.
SPECIFICATIONS | RIVIERA 38RB
MANUFACTURER
Thor Motor Coach, P.O. Box 1486, Elkhart, IN 46515; (800) 860-5658; thormotorcoach.com
MODEL
2024 Riviera
FLOOR PLAN
38RB
CHASSIS
Freightliner XC-S straight-rail
ENGINE
Cummins 6.7-liter diesel; 340 horsepower; 700 pound-feet torque
TRANSMISSION
Allison 6-speed MH2500 automatic
TIRES
275/80R 22.5 radials with aluminum wheels
WHEELBASE
256 inches
BRAKES
full air drum, antilock
SUSPENSION
Air-Ride
ALTERNATOR
160 amps
BATTERIES
chassis — (2) 12-volt AGM;
house — (4) 6-volt lead acid
INVERTER
Magnum 2,800-watt inverter/charger
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
50 amps
GENERATOR
Onan RV QD 6000 diesel
EXTERIOR LENGTH
38 feet 11 inches
EXTERIOR WIDTH
101 inches
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
12 feet 6 inches with A/C
INTERIOR HEIGHT
7 feet
GROSS COMBINATION WEIGHT RATING (GCWR)
33,000 pounds
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR)
32,000 pounds
GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING (GAWR)
front — 12,000 pounds;
rear — 20,000 pounds
OCCUPANT & CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY (OCCC)
5,700 pounds
HOLDING TANK CAPACITIES
fresh water — 95 gallons;
gray water — 40 gallons;
black water — 55 gallons (2 tanks)
FUEL CAPACITY
90 gallons
PROPANE CAPACITY
105 pounds
WATER HEATER
tankless
HEATING SYSTEM
35,000-Btu furnace
AIR-CONDITIONING
(2) 15,000-Btu,(1) with heat pump
REFRIGERATOR
15.7-cubic-foot residential
WARRANTY
chassis — 5 years/100,000 miles;
coach — 1 year/15,000 miles, 12 years structural,6 years lamination
MANUFACTURER’S BASE SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$374,250