There is a growing movement of RV buyers who are fed up with gigantic coaches that cannot fit in parking spaces, cost more than a house, and should require an advanced driving license. Several manufacturers are responding to the demands of these people and now, Americans can buy impossibly tiny motorhomes that still pack a big punch. One of them is the new 2025 Thor Quantum SE19 and its sister 2025 Four Winds 19Z, 20.5 foot Class C coaches that are only just now hitting the market.
I saw a 2025 Thor Quantum SE19 at the 2025 Florida RV SuperShow but, unfortunately, the unit was closed when I tried checking it out and there was no information about it. There weren’t any web pages about it either, which remains the case now. However, these units are finally hitting the market, so I’m finally getting the tasty details I’ve been waiting for.
If you loved the idea of the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 but wished it was a fraction of the price, this might be your jam. This motorhome is a little bit bigger than the Wingamm, but it’s built on a more reliable platform and still small enough that it’s roughly about the length of the F-150 that might be parked in your driveway.
This motorhome comes from the folks of Thor Motor Coach, a motorhome division of RV mega-conglomerate Thor Industries. The brand was created in 2010 after Thor Industries merged Damon Motor Coach and Four Winds International. Thor Motor Coach has such a hold on the motorhome market that it sells a quarter of all of the motorhomes that are sold in America each year.
I’ve toured Thor Motor Coach units before and while I have never been particularly impressed by the firm’s designs, layouts, or quality, the coaches sold by the brand have highly competitive pricing. This coach comes from the Quantum line, which exists to provide families with feature-packed motorhomes at a more affordable price. Honestly, I’ve been saying that a lot lately because a lot of brands seem to claim this as the same thing.
The Other Tiny Option
The Quantum Class C lineup covers coaches under 32 feet long and until recently, the smallest of the bunch was the 24’1″ Quantum LC24. How small is the new Quantum SE19 and its siblings? It’s just 20.5 feet. That’s roughly the length of a Ford F-150 SuperCrew with a 6.5-foot bed. Yes, the Quantum SE19 is about three feet longer than the ultra-tiny Wingamm Oasi 540.1, but this thing is still remarkably tiny for any motorhome, let alone a Class C.
I’ll put it another way. How short is the Quantum SE19? The flagship Airstream Interstate 24 van is four feet longer. However, like the Wingamm, the Quantum SE19 is clever in how it packs more room to move around in a space that’s shorter than a camper van. This RV is also sold under the sister brand of Four Winds with the same floorplan.
According to Thor, the Quantum SE19 and its sister Four Winds 19Z start off life as a Ford E-350 cutaway featuring a 7.3-liter Godzilla gasoline V8 making 325 HP and 450 lb-ft of torque. Mounted to the frame of this cutaway chassis is a tubular aluminum cage superstructure. A one-piece Dicor Crossflex thermoplastic roof membrane is draped on top. Thor says this thermoplastic roof is three times as puncture resistant than old-school rubber membranes. The thermoplastic roof is also claimed to be multiple times more tear-resistant than rubber.
Thor continues by saying the coach has laminated walls, laminated floors, and fiberglass end caps. There is also block foam insulation between the layers. In other words, the Quantum SE19 doesn’t use the “holy grail” molded fiberglass construction that the Wingamm does or all-steel like a van, but it’s still a few cuts above a wood-framed, rubber membrane roof build.
Unfortunately, Thor has a bad reputation for rough build quality — something I’ve personally witnessed too many times — so don’t expect the fit and finish of the nicer RVs I’ve written about. But hey, once the RV body falls apart you can just cut it off and make a wicked van-truck.
While we’re still outside, Thor notes that its Quantum coaches have a power awning, a backup camera, and electric stabilizer jacks. The power awning and backup camera are here, but it’s unclear if the little 19s get the power jacks.
A lot of Class C motorhomes have moved to newer platforms like the Ford Transit, the Ford F-Series, and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. However, there are still some holdouts being built on the Ford E-Series and the Chevrolet Express.While these old van-based RVs are going to drive like the dinosaurs that underpin them, these ancient platforms are still great for people who do DIY repairs and modifications. Certainly, I’d take an E-Series over the Ram ProMaster.
Moving inside, you’ll immediately see why the 2025 Quantum SE19 and the 2025 Four Winds 19Z might be better choices than buying a new camper van. The wider Class C body means you have a lot more space to move around. The only real difference between the two models is the interior color scheme. There’s also a third model out there called the Chateau 19Z and you won’t be surprised to read that the biggest difference is a different interior color.
The layout here is pretty good. Your kitchen is on the right side of the vehicle while the bathroom is directly across the aisle. A U-shaped dinette takes up the rear and there’s a bed over the cab. It’s a very simple layout and one that a lot of people should feel pretty comfortable walking around in.
Thor notes that you get a two-burner stove, a single basin stainless steel sink, and a wet bath with a foot flush toilet and shower. Thor also notes pressed laminate countertops, residential vinyl flooring, an instant water heater, and there’s even a TV for the person sleeping in the 52″ by 91″ bed over the cab. The U-shaped dinette also turns into a 54″ by 77″ bed. Finally, you also get a 7″ display on the dashboard that provides Wi-Fi and a 4G signal booster.
Matt’s RV Reviews, which teamed up with General RV for a walkaround has already declared the 2025 Thor Quantum SE19 as the “World’s Smallest Super C,” but that doesn’t make any sense. A Super C is based on a heavy truck chassis, which this is absolutely not. That being said, it might be the smallest American Class C motorhome currently in production, and that’s great!
What’s interesting about this video is that even though it’s sponsored by General RV, the host readily admits that the coach is built as cheaply as possible. Ouch. The cheapness also means no running boards, no fancy options, and only the most basic equipment.
In terms of capacities, you’re looking at a 40-gallon fuel tank, a 20-gallon fresh tank, and 16 gallons for waste. The unit does have both a black tank and a gray tank, but the gray tank figure hasn’t been published yet. One thing we do know is that most of the E-350’s towing capacity remains intact and the RV can tow 8,000 pounds and has a payload of 2,806 pounds.
It’s How Cheap?
Now here comes the big question. What does it cost? General RV, the dealer chain currently advertising the 2025 Thor Quantum SE19, says the MSRP on one of these is $127,335. However, these units are just leaving the factory just now and they’re already being sold for half-off. General RV says you should be able to find one for sale for between $60,000 and $70,000. Here’s one for sale in Michigan for $59,500. The Four Winds and Chateau equivalents should cost about the same from other dealers.
Not only does this mean that the 2025 Quantum SE19 and its badge-engineered mates are a fraction of the cost of the $188,500 Wingamm, but also cheaper than a new Ford F-150 Lariat. Well, that’s so long as you can find one for the cheaper end of the price delta.
Overall, I’m a fan of the idea. It’s close to the size of the Wingamm while also being a fraction of the price. Now there’s something for both ends of the small motorhome market. If you want the ultimate smallest luxury rig, the Wingamm might be your jam. If you don’t care about luxury, insane attention to detail, or style, and just want a lot of bang for your buck. I think the Quantum SE19 might be the ticket. Either way, it’s really awesome to see how the RV industry is responding to this movement of smaller RV buyers.
A new E-350 Dual rear wheel cutaway costs a little over $41,000 if you just buy one according to Ford’s website. This thing all built is available for $60k? I suppose that may be considered a decent value but at the MSRP of $127k it’s simply laughable. Does the MSRP just exist to try to convince people they are getting a deal? Or are they waiting for a shortage of something in order to dial back the discounts? Who makes the extra profit when one sells for close to MSRP, is it the manufacturer or the dealer? So many questions! So little desire to own one! Still, I’m surprised they haven’t Quigleyed it, although bouncing around offroad might warp the thing pretty quickly 🙂
I get that there is a market for these, but…
For $60,000, I’d rather buy a used U-Haul box truck and spend the other $50K on maintenance and on kitting out the inside.
I do wonder how big the market really is when it stickers at $127k yet retails at $60k. Maybe the better bet is to just rent a new U-haul box truck for the weekend and toss a futon in the back.
Mercedes, you frequently bring up the point of bad build quality with RVs. Hell, when I was a kid when my parents bought a Steury pop up camper in 1971, quality sucked. Hell, the trailer tongue had to be welded on to the frame because someone in Indiana forgot to do it. Why they welded one side, but not the other, is beyond anyone’s reasoning. Detroit figured out how to build better cars since. Why can’t these RV manufacturers?
Thank you for including the tow rating, I feel like that’s a big draw of sticking with the ancient chassis, but it never gets brought up. Would expect a lot more than 8,000 pounds towing capacity though, wonder what’s holding it back.
Also, speaking of holding it back, that 40 gallon gas tank does not cut it. You might do 10mpg on the interstate in this, so that’s a max of 400 miles per tank. Throw a trailer on the back, and you won’t even make it that far. I know there’s a lot of things competing for space, but, that small of a tank on an RV will get old fast.
I get what you’re saying about a box van being wider – and therefore more spacious – than a Class B cargo van conversion. However, for longevity and durability, the solid steel of a van is going to be way ahead of the sticks and wallpaper of this Class C.
The one nice thing about the Ford E series is the owner will find parts everywhere in North America.
The cockpit seats look like stock Ford parts. Sit in them for a few hours and tell me how well you like them. The passenger is shortchanged on footspace, and the doghouse gets hot in the E series I’ve driven. The cockpits in Transits and Sprinters is friendlier to both driver and passenger.
Membrane roof? Thor promises the new material is better than previous membranes, but it’s still a flexible material stretched and glued over a rigid substrate. Eventually, it will wear and crack when exposed to years of UV radiation.
Build quality in Thors I’ve seen, with the exception of Tiffin is, well, woof.
The big question for me is whether it’s construction will avoid the dreaded leaks in the roof and walls.
I’d say no. All these rigs flex a lot with road vibrations/undulations. Elastomers and sealants get brittle from heat/sun. Plus the original fitup of joints is highly variable quality-wise.
RV manufacturers had plenty of time to remedy these problems, and I mean decades. These are solvable problems.