2011 Diplomat

[moisheh]

We are in Q and today I went to's to see the011 Dip. I know that the Dip is now below the Camelot but I was totally unimpressed. The interior build quality was no better than our old 02 Bounder DP. Cheap cupboards and doors that were loose and did not fit. It felt cheap. I thought Navistar would have done some major cosmetic changes on the exterior but the coach was no different than an 07 or 08. I am not sure where this coach is pricewise but even though I am not a big Tiffin fan the Phaeton is far superior. I wanted to see a Dynasty but apparently there are none. How sad.

[Bonanza]

moisheh, my wife and I just looked at the 11 Diplomats and Dynastys the Dip is priced, sell price around $235 and the Dyn around $325 I found both to be very nicely appointed, we looked at the bath and ahalf 42-43 ft. We looked at them at Motorhome Specialist in Alvarado, Texas you might want to go to their web site and check it out.

[itdave]

Boy how two people can look at the same thing and see something different. At Quartzsite one of the folks staying there was looking at buying a new 11 Dip. The dealer brought it out to the desert and all of us got a good look at it. I thought that the cabinets were better quality that what was in my 06 Endeavor and in general the fit and finished looked great.

[moisheh]

Perhaps I thought that the New Monaco would be putting out a new product. But I bet if you put it beside a new Phaeton there would be no comparison. At least they could have produced a new radical front cap. I see some other new Monacos with a very different front end. Like Dave says everyone has different tastes and ideas.

[I-LOVE-RAMBLIN]

Please, please do not encourage Monaco to put that ugly front cap from the Vesta on any other coach.
Ed Robbins
2011 Diplomat DFT

[Joe & Bonnie]

Concur! We looked over a new Vesta recently and did not like it.

[waco kid]

I was at the Tampa RV show, I'd take the Diplomat/Endevor over the Phaeton. I thought the quality was alot better in the Monaco. At first glance the Zeffer(spelling?) looked nice, but then I noticed the cabnet doors were all poorly fitted. For that kind of money I'd buy a Dynasty, Steel frame and a better chassis. In no way am trashing Tiffen, I'm just saying I like the Monaco's better.......Bruce

[Mike Canter]

Sometimes how a new motorhome appears to the individual depends on what MH he had or is in now. It maybe just a matter of reference.

[Bonanza]

Hey guys great discussion, believe me I looked at all of the MH when looking to buy, as I hacve said before it took me two years to make up my mind, and as stated already everybody has their own taste. What I personally found is this, after looking at all brands of MH I would only buy one of two and that is Monaco or Tiffin. Monaco first because I love the ride and think the Roadmaster Chassis is better (personal choice). Tiffin second because of service I, and again personal choice, think we might all agree or maybe not. When I visited with Bob Tiffin in my search for a Coach I was very iterested in the new chassis they were building and he said they were please with it but had some improvements to make, very nice man and very honest, I have not driven a new Tiffin with the new chassis so cant make a determination if it is as good as the Roadmaster. Any way thats just my opinion and I love this thread good information.

[moisheh]

Please understand that I own a Dynasty and love it. In 08 I went to Lazydays and they parked an Allegro Bus and a Dynasty side by side in their CG. I had all the time in the world to examine them both. Then I drove them one after the other. The Tiffin was no match for the Monaco even though the Monaco was about $30,000 dollars more. The Tiffin did not have the fit and finish of the Dynasty. Driving the Monaco was far better than the Bus. However I still expected the New Monaco to come up with something new and exciting. They have some good competition. Winnie has a new tag coach with a redesigned front end. It really does not matter if the Monaco product is better. Most buyers are not discriminating. When a Winnie salesman tells them that Monaco went bankrupt and left their owners hanging the prospect goes for the Winnie. Now that Monaco is owned by a Worldwide Corp. they need to do things differently and let the world know what is different about their product. St first they did push that mantra but it so far it is just talk. I know that much of the industry is almost in a "hold" mode but Tiffin and Winnie and even Fleetwood are bringing new product to the marketplace and having some success. I was not suggesting they put a Freightliner or some other gaudy grill on a Dynasty. But a new front end design would be nice.

[itdave]

I think and hope that the new Monaco is focusing on improving the quality of the coaches coming off the line and not adding cosmetic changes. It looks like there are making changes to lower end coaches which at the moment seem to be selling better that the high end ones. I think that a lot of effort is going into replacing the Cummings engine and rebuilding the dealer/service network. I think they are doing the right things to rebuild a business. Just my 2 cents.

[ramblin10]

Regarding the 2011 Diplomat and I will include Endeavor. I see a number of improvements from previous years and other brands. The cabinets for 11are now full hardwood as before just the doors were hardwood The chassis has went to mono pled wiring. The DFT floor plan has a full wall slide bath and a half very innovative compared to previous units or other brands. The 5 slide or slide in a slide is unique no one doing this and now they have slide in a slide in the new AlumaLite. I also think the new 43pkq is interesting with a sectional sofa mid ship. They also offer this price point with a 425 cummins ISL soon to change to maxxforce With Tiffin you have to go up another 40k or so and buy a Allegro Bus if you want this
engine can't get it in a Phaeton As far as cap design the one they have has been a winner however in time you will probably see grills and front caps that look more like a Navistar but necessarily as radical as the Vesta/Trip.
I think Navistar could always do better but they came in at a very tough Since they have taken over they had to re start 2 plants one that was shut down for 18 months and the other was shut down for 6 months. They had to rehire 1000 employees. Rebuild a parts department and customer service. Begin re-signing dealers in a market that was only 1/3rd the size as it was in 2005. This meant fewer dealers and less shelf space for the ones that have survived. Also improve quality. Just recently they have put in place their 12 station process similar to the truck plants. They have improved the paint process as well They have also added some new brands. The Vesta, Trip, AlumaLite A and C Plus a fifth wheel. Vacationer Gas is back RVision has added at least two brands and the HR Presidential is just out. I may have missed a few. There are also several new floor plans and they made an engine change from cummins to maxxforce in some models this required some engineering and wiring changes.
More and more will come as the industry
Sure they could do more and will but I don't think too many others have done more or had as many challenges to deal with.

[moisheh]

Ramblin10: Thank you for that information. I hope you are correct. The one thing That I see as a detriment is the Navistar engine. Perhaps in a few years when it is proven in an RV application. I am still wondering how the "pollution" wars between Navistar and the others will turn out. I remember when some RV'rs bought units with the Mercedes powerplant and those enines turned out to be non compliant. I think my critique may have been unfair as I only saw one unit. But that was the only DP they had on display according to the salesman. The Camelot was sold.

[butterbean]

Howdy Y'all,
If Navistar did what the people in Elkhart say they did I want no part of Navistar!!! What they bought were the 'marque name brands', Holiday Rambler, Manaco, Thor, Airstream,etc.. They can build ANYTHING NOW and call it whatever they want and the buying public will think they're getting the 'old' reputation... That's what these multi-national companies are now
doinG; living in the reputations of AMERICAN BUILT COMPANIES!!!