Monaco Cayman

[Kona Traveler]

We are thinking about getting a new Monaco Cayman. We are looking at either the 38PBD or the 39 PBT. I am interested in any thoughts on either of these coaches. We are not full timers. Is 4 airbags adequate? Is there enought power in the 39 PBT? Any thoughts on either of these models or on the Cayman generally would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Kona Traveler]

We are thinking about getting a new Monaco Cayman. We are looking at either the 38PBD or the 39 PBT. I am interested in any thoughts on either of these coaches. We are not full timers. Is 4 airbags adequate? Is there enought power in the 39 PBT? Any thoughts on either of these models or on the Cayman generally would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[MonacoMama]

Kona Traveler...
Welcome to iRV2!! I can tell you that you have ventured onto what I consider the best RV forum out there on the web!
One of the moderators may link this to the Monaco forum down below where most of us Monaco Owners hang out...it might get a little more response there.
It is a holiday weekend...so it may take a little more time to get a response.

I have no experience with the Cayman...but I will look at the floor plans and give you my input soon...

Again...welcome to iRV2!

[Gary RVRoamer]

The Cayman on the RR4 (4 airbag chassis) will be similar to other solid axle, air suspended rigs in ride and handling. A Winnie Journey on a Freightliner straight axle chassis, for example. The RR8 8 bag chassis is definitely and improvement and acts more like an independent suspension than a solid axle, but they also cost more.

Likewise for the power - there is certainly "enough" but more is always nicer too. Do you consider yourself a perfroance guy? Like to accelerate quickly or drive fast? If so, you never have quite enough power. Otherwise, it is probably OK.

If your budget can stand it, you will certainly like one of the more upscale Monaco models better. Smoother ride, more power, and of course more amenities as well. Ya pays your money and ya takes your choice.

I'll add a shortcut to this down in the Monaco Owners forum, so you get some feedback from some actual Cayman owners.

[GoneFishin]

My 2 cents worth, but I'm fairly new at this. I looked at the on-line 2008 Cayman brochure.

Check the CCC (Cargo Carry Capacity). I see one floorplan has 2 slides and the other has 3 slides. The weight of the extra slide will possibly take away some of your CCC.

The 38 has the 2 slide on the street side. The 39 has the galley slide on the curbside (patio).

Make sure the MH will tow the weight of your toad vehicle.

Check the brochure for standard and optional features. Check the Furniture section for items such as the bed sizes (which are different for the diff plans), the couch sizes (which differ), The Furnaces are different for the 38 and 39 plans. There are some pantry choices, depending on the refrigerator you choose.

Stand in it, sit in it, pretend you are cooking and preparing dinner. Take the cover off the stove and see how much counter space you have. Get in the shower and pretend. Think about the storage - both inside and outside compartments.

I'm sure others will offer their input on what is important to them. Good luck with your decisions.

[MonacoMama]

Kona...
Gonefishin brings up some great points...but you also need to DRIVE both rigs...and I don't mean just around the block...but find a grade to take them both up along with a road that is not in the best condition.

Spend a lot of time in both floorplans.. I notice the 39 also has a deeper slide in the bedroom. This may also add weight to the rig...but also givr you more room that you want in your bedroom.

Only you can determine what works best for you..but I am sure we will have some Cayman owners also chime in with their own thoughts too!
(PS..blog update...)

[nodine]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MonacoMama:
Kona...
Gonefishin brings up some great points...but you also need to DRIVE both rigs...and I don't mean just around the block......) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Amen Mama! I cannot stress strong enough how important it is to compare coaches at interstate speed. You spend most of your time on the interstate and not on steep grades or back roads. Not doing this ended up costing us about $50K. We traded our first coach, which was new, after 3.5 months because we could not drive it more than 200 miles on a trip without being worn out from the constant steering correction required. We even took the coach back to the chassis factory and did other things but was not able to achieve satisfactory performance. After that experience the 2006 Monaco Diplomat handles like a dream. No more white knuckles and the view with the one piece windshield can be enjoyed while sipping on a beverage and talking with the wife.

Bob

[Kona Traveler]

Wow, this is a great site and you sure do make us feel welcome. Thanks for all the responses and very helpful information.

Any additional thoughts or input will be appreciated. Any other Cayman owners out? Are you happy with the Cayman. Clearly the Diplomat owners seem real happy. Maybe we need to consider digging a little deeper into the pocketbook.

[Les Stallings]

Many factors affect the driveability of a coach. One is the ratio of the wheelbase to overall length. Most folks believe that a ratio of greater than 50% is desirable. Too much overhang will seriously impact stability in cross winds and tractor-trailer traffic.

Unless you take a coach out on a windy day and unless you drive it on the interstate and see how it handles when a big rig passes you, the wheelbase/overall length information is all you have to work with.

[Robin_M]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kona Traveler:
We are looking at either the 38PBD or the 39 PBT. I am interested in any thoughts on either of these coaches. We are not full timers. Is 4 airbags adequate? Is there enought power in the 39 PBT? Any thoughts on either of these models or on the Cayman generally would be much appreciated. Thanks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

As other's have said, you need to spend some time in the coach, checking out the floor plans for things like storage capacity, and decide how they fit your needs. Also the advise to drive both is good advice. Since I've never driven a Cayman I'll offer some thoughts purly on my past experience with a similar coach on a Freightliner Chassis.

Air bags... The 4 airbags on the RR4R chassis look substantially larger than the 8 airbags on the Knight and the Diplomat RR8R chassis - similar to that of the Frightliner RR chassis. If that's the case, they should be fine. Our 4 airbag Freightliner actually rode more smoothly than our Diplomat rides on 8 small airbags.

Floor Plans... That's a personal choice, but if it were us, we'd take the 38 PBD hands down. The "L" shaped bath area with bedroom entrance on the side is very nice. Makes it feel more like a "house" with distinct rooms, rather than lining up everything in a straight line with a center hallway. I also like the bed over the engine rather than on a slide. That will give you more storage space under the bed, no "engine hump" in the bedroom to deal with, and best of all, you will have full access to the bedroom with the slides in. One thing I would urge you to do with either of those floor plans, however, is to sit on the toilet and close the door. It may be fairly clostrophobic in there, I'm guessing.

Engine... The Cummins ISB, rated at 340HP, should be adaquate for the Cayman, especially if you pull a car under 3500 lbs, like a small SUV or crossover. You may wish you had a little more power when first accelerating out of the gate, or when pulling a hill. But mostly, you'll be able to keep up with any traffic on the Interstate. If you feel you need more power, Banks has a great kit for the ISB engine, that is completely safe. With or without a Banks kit, you should enjoy better than 10 mpg with that engine - maybe closer to 11, depending on the weight of your toad. That's nice with fuel prices what they are today.

[Kona Traveler]

MonacoMama and others, thanks for reviewing the floor plans and all the other insights you have provided. Today, we went back and also looked at the Cayman 37PDQ floorplan. There were some things we liked about that one also. Again, appreciate any input. Thanks so much.

[MonacoMama]

Kona... Just curious...
What part of the country are you in ...and what dealer are you working with?

[Kona Traveler]

Hi MonacoMama, we live in Simi Valley, CA. We are working with Simi RV. They are very close to where we live. We have heard very good things about them and like the sale person we are dealing with. I am very impressed with all I have been reading about DeMartini. We use to live in Sacramento and know that area well.

[mountainkowboy]

Here's our take, you need a "real world" test of the MH before you buy one. What I mean is you and your wife need to spend 3-4 hours in the rig to see if it "fits" you (like your living in it). That is how we decide on the rig, we went through 4 different floorplans before we decided on our present coach.