2003 Lexa vs 2006 Magna continued discussion

[Burlroad]

I have looked at both coaches over the last 10 years now. When I owned my 36 Foot 2000 Magna I truly loved it. However I must admit that I was smitten with the Lexa when I started seeing them come up for sale on the used market. Personal reasons forced me to sell my Magna in 2010. However over the years I went and visited numerous Lexa's as well as 2006, 2007 Magna's during my travels for work.

For those of you who have been following my Hurricane Heater repair, you know I pulled the trigger in December and purchased a Lexa Odyssey 45 ft coach.

I love it! At least from my perspective, I've had no more electrical issues with my Lexa than I had with my Magna.


Things I like about the Lexa -
Really love the 45 FT Odyssey floor plan! I will be posting updated photos shortly as my DW has been decorating the Coach since taking possession. Interestly enough I appreciate the way they did the desk area and alcove hutch along with the ceiling to desk decorative column.

I think the tray ceiling lights throughout the Coach look classy.

The front furniture layout is more than attractive, however this will be highly subjective and dependent depending on the fabric and backsplash choices that were made. We just ordered a new drivers side jackknife couch from Villa International to replace the outdated fabric one in it today.

I appreciate the drop down TV. Though watch your heard when stepping up into the coach...learned that one the hard way.

I like the Air Lock front door locking system. No air noise and sense of extra locking protection while sleeping.

Love the kitchen area (all electric) and the decorative tiling as well as lighted crystal glass cabinet.

I actually like the glued in windows and thankfully mine are in great shape. Sleek sides.

Multi-adjustable dash gauge section is highly functional as I am taller.

Like all country coaches, the lighting throughout the Coach is spectacular.

The passenger concealed drop down cup holder is pretty slick.

In the Odyssey floor plan the shower is enclosed with a cool curved one piece glass door. Feels very high end. Sinks and medicine cabinets are beautiful.

The back room is especially roomy and even attractive with the slide closed.

Outside, the accent lights are way ahead of their time. Each bay doors hinden handle has 4 blue led lights that casts an ice cool flood light around the entire coach.

The hidden awnings (4 of them) concealed on the roof are especially cool. It's like a transformer...

The body and paint work are very contemporary and if painted the right colors turn heads frequently.

Knock on wood, but my C-15 CAT engine is HUGE and pushes around the 45 FT Lexa like it weighs nothing.

In closing, the sleekness on the outside of the coach with the glued in windows, hidden awnings and no window awnings looks amazing. Let's hope not having any slide toppers doesn't come back to bite me.

No doubt, the later Magna's and especially Affinity's have many of the Lexa's advanced options. The Lexa simply gets the credit for having brought many advanced features to market first. Then, a good portion of the Lexa's features worked their way into the Affinity.

As I said before, I'm loving the Lexa and haven't yet experienced any of the nightmare stories some have alluded. Certainly no more than my Magna.

[Smitty77]

Very glad this is working out for you. I think it's cool that you went with a coach your heart was obviously attached too. Yes, all coaches have opportunities for repair/frustration/learning/helping the economy - having a coach you're so attached to usually helps with this part of ownership!

I see your in MN(?), one of the things I would do early in the process (Regardless of which coach someone owns.), is develop a relationship with a repair facility that knows your coach. The Lexa is a unique low volume coach, so finding talent specific to that coach will not be easy. My wife and I have a relationship with an RV Repair facility in Southern California that we trust for the more generic coach house items. We also have a yearly routine where we swing thru Oregon and stop at Oregon Motor Coach, many former CC factory workers and management are at OMC. I can whole heartedly recommend them to anyone. Not just CC owners, but other coaches too. They've recently added Foretravel to their supported coaches. (Our first visit I'd say 65-70% of the coaches their were CC's. Our visit last year, I'd say it was 45-50% CC. Foretravel, Beaver, Monaco, Newmar to name a few other brands.)

Many on this board have had good luck with the CC facility when they reopened, as well as Premier.

Best of ongoing luck to you with your coach, look forward to future pictures. Travel safe, have fun,
Smitty

[CountryFit]

lexa looks nice. waiting for your photos .
i have seen some with prevost logo on it. were those built on prevost chassis/shell?

[Burlroad]

I have only seen one with a Prevost Logo on it... Mine!!!! This is my one sore spot with the coach, but one I should be able to correct. For some reason (of which I will never know) a previous owner thought it would be a good idea to stick on the Prevost lettering on the front and rear of the coach. I will be looking in to what it would take to remove the lettering which appears to be glued on.

100% of the Lexa's were built on the Country Coach custom-tuned, proprietary DynoMax Chassis. It was/in considered to be one of the best motorhome chassis out there. The Country Coach conversion Prevost buses are the only ones built using the Prevost chassis.

[CountryFit]

Originally Posted by Burlroad

I have only seen one with a Prevost Logo on it... Mine!!!!

keep it!! it really shines

[Burlroad]

It's like putting a Ferrari shield on a Lamborghini.... it simply makes no sense whatsoever.

[Burlroad]

A few photos thus far...Can you guess what area I got to decorate??Attachment 1Attachment 1Attachment 1

[Burlroad]

A few more photos[ATTACH]153905

[Smitty77]

Well 'The Captains Word is Law' sort of gave that away didn't it!

I suppose the exception to this law, is when 'The First Mate is The Wife - Then All Law's Are OUT!'.

Very tasteful all around. And yes the show is almost a piece of modern art!

A nice coach, at a unique time for CC. Their are more CC history experts here then myself. But it seems to me that some of the more unique CC's (Heck, unique for any coach.) are:
-The Concepts
-The Prevost based Concepts (Believe they had a Prevost based one too?)
-The Prevost based CC's
-The Lexa
-The Rhapsody

(I probably missed some other 'One Off's' CC's, but that is what I could remember now. And I could for sure be wrong about the Prevost Based CC'. I think I remember the Concept was on the Gillig Chassis, probably with BF Goodrich Velvet Ride in the mix(?). Two lengths, 36' (38'(?) and 40'.)

Back a few years ago, I was working spread sheets on justifying 40' Prevost Based CC's and or 40' Marathon's. Both with two slides. Came very closed to pulling the switch on it. (And know, they numbers never did actually 'justify' the jump from our Allure - but it came down to 'life is too short' - and dang I wanted one! I was out looking at a few, semi kicking tires, when the impact of ACA on our retirement budget kicked in... So I put the move on hold until when I would hit 65 in 2018. Now? I don't know - we've put close to $45K in our Allure. (Interior mod's, residential fridge, higher end HiFi equipment, cabinetry, Road Kings, Source Engineering Check Valves and Thermo Wax Temperature controller, FASS Fuel Pump and EGT Valve, 1200W of Solar, 800AH battery bank, Buskote, Etc., Etc... Dang if we don't like it... So, I'm on a wait and see until 2018... Then the DW and I will talk... While I love this thing called RV'ing - I know she misses her garden, kitchen, friends and family... So if I was a betting man, we'll just keep on trucking for 2-3 month trips in our current coach...

Sorry to ramble, and you're all so lucky - as this was pre happy hour. Heck if I was typing this after happy hour, I may have gone on a bit...

OP - Enjoy that Lexa of yours!!! Best to you, and all,
Smitty

[Burlroad]

Thanks Smitty... Very Funny response. With the investment you've put into your Allure I bet she fits you and the DW perfectly. To be honest, we can all spend far too much time looking through the things we want that we don't have when we should be thankful for everything that's right there before us. I say this, but I'm the worst offender as when this bug gets into you it's hard to shake off. Here's to Happy Hour!! Pass the nuts!

[rampage42]

Definitely the office is yours. Great looking coach. I had the same white microwave in my Affinity and changed it to stainless. Really updated the look.

[Burlroad]

No doubt. It will be one of the first things to go. Thanks for the remarks. We're excited. What did you replace it with?

[CountryFit]

this is indeed a very nice coach. from exterior to interior, especially the unique alcove hutch and the column, really shows the elegance!

[Burlroad]

Very kind of you, Countryfit! Still figuring out a few bugs, but she's getting there.