Pre 2011 models?

[Bruexx]

Just wondering what Monaco MH owners think of the "new Monaco MH's" as compared to the pre 2011 models,quality etc.?
Thanks
Bruce

[BudtheDiplomat]

I own an '08 Diplomat SFT. Excepting the tag axle, the 2011 looks like the exact same coach. I don't see any changes in the interior or exterior looks.

Sure there are changes...50 more horsepower, tag axle, and they abandoned the full wall slide. Pity about the wall slide.

Bud

[Drifter]

I worked on a 2011 Dip for two months off and on, trying to save our friends from having a bad experience. There was a lot of silly mistakes that must have been done by inexperienced workers and the lack of any quality control. They are miles from being close to the quality of the earlier models.

[Stevepkam]

Have a 2011 Monarch and noticed that none of the switch plates have labels anymore. Those 6 switches near the stairs where you go out the door. Not a label on any of them. Sometimes I turn off all the lights by hitting salesman's switch, somtimes the porch light goes on. It's a surprise for me each time. Do NOT tell me to memorize them! Too late for that. I have ordered the switch plates from the 2009's but they are all on back-order.
I noticed the wiring on the driver's seat left a bit to be desired. When I moved the seat forward, all of a sudden it stopped. Moving seat forward ripped the wire apart because it had all been bunched together with a plastic holder so there was no slack.
Is it just 2011's or do all Monaco have driver's seat so close to the slideout that seat can't go back very far. Also if slideout is out and drivers seat is back, the slideout tends to hit the driver's seat upon retraction of the the slider. It is disoncerting to see the drvers seat all of a sudden start listing to starbord. (Only happened once, but seat still lists)
My guess is that there is not much new but there are cost cutting moves that have removed certain things.
Our RV, along with 7 others was broken into in Moorpark, CA. The thieves were very neat and methodical. Used a screw-driver to remove bedroom TV. Tthey pulled all the wires out of the front TV but couldn't figure out how to get it out of the cabinet. They took out the Monaco supplied DVD player and left it on the driver's seat. I took that as their vote on a cheap DVD player.

Would love to compare a 2009 or oldr coach with mine to see what has changed.

[chicklet]

We have a 2010 Monarch 33SFS & have the same problem with the switches! We have just taken it out of storage & are going through the learning curve of figuring out what switch is what! Somehow always seem to hit the salesman switch. I'm definately going to label them.

We are new to RVing, fell into it last year by purchasing an 2006 30ft Monarch. I was born into the boat business, and find RV's to be very similar. After looking around I quickly realised that Monaco was a high quality manufactorer, it's the same in the boat biz, there is lots of flash & bling but you have to look for quality. We traded up to a new 2010 due to... well I really don't know - hubby was not happy with the inherited problems on the used unit. Nothing out of the ordinary, but we could see that there would be more problems down the road - all system type stuff, a/c, water pump, furnance. Ironically for me, I subcombed to what we call 2 foot-itis and went only slightly bigger. We wanted to stay small enough to stay in Provincial & National parks & the full wall side won us over.

I also knew that going to a new unit would not guarantee a problem free unit, and yes, we have had a few. The interior is fine, but we did have a leak in the the light behind the passenger side chair. Awning had no gutter between it & the wall so rain would pour freely down the sides. All easily rectified and our dealership has been great. Other than that, build seems to be very good. Compared to the 2006 I have seen no obvious shortfall in quality.

Unlike most RVer's I am happy with the deprecitation! It's alot less than a boat!!