Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > Class A Motorhome Discussions
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-11-2016, 04:58 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
miwok's Avatar


 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Greenville OH
Posts: 153
Blog Entries: 7
I am doing the same kind of looking, yet am at a lower price point. But the list of brands are pretty good, I made my list with help of iRV2 Owners groups. I added Monaco and Alpine, but mostly added the Monaco Dynasty because I met three couples out of FL who were talking and the Wives said Dynasty. The guys told me they were 400 to 500 hp.
__________________

1993 Pace Arrow Diesel Allison 6 spd
Cummins 8.3C Oshkosh M chassis
2015 Jeep Wrangler Sport JK 2017 EZ-Go Golf Cart
miwok is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 10-11-2016, 08:42 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
vapor3000's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: NE Oklahoma
Posts: 569
Newmar

You are smart looking for a used MH rather than new. You stand to get more value for less money. After owning 5 MH's over the last 40 yrs, I would encourage you to consider the Newmar DSDP.

I recommend you consider the following:
1. Buy from the owner (hopefully original owner) and NOT a dealer. Talk to the guy that has driven and maintained the MH.
2. Go for the Spartan chassis w/side rad. It is the superior chassis.
3. Go for the pre emission Cummins diesel if you can. I have the ISL and it has plenty of power. No chip mod required. We tow a full size 1/2 ton crew cab PU and have no problems with any mountain pass in Colorado.
4. Look for a used coach with new batteries and new (or low time) tires.
5. Go with full body paint.

Good luck with your search.
__________________
Rick and Lynda Smith
2020 JAYCO Eagle 30.5CKTS
2018 RAM 2500 4x4 Crew, 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel
vapor3000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2016, 09:02 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,676
Quote:
Originally Posted by vapor3000 View Post
I would encourage you to consider the Newmar DSDP.
Had to smile at your picture. Ours was the same year and paint color. Thanks for bringing back good memories of an excellent motorhome.
__________________
Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
twogypsies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2016, 08:13 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
vapor3000's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: NE Oklahoma
Posts: 569
Quote:
Originally Posted by twogypsies View Post
Had to smile at your picture. Ours was the same year and paint color. Thanks for bringing back good memories of an excellent motorhome.
You are more than welcome. Owners of these Newmar MH's are proud of their ride!!
__________________
Rick and Lynda Smith
2020 JAYCO Eagle 30.5CKTS
2018 RAM 2500 4x4 Crew, 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel
vapor3000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2016, 09:28 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NW AZ and Kenai Peninsula
Posts: 207
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clayhammer View Post
My wife and I are planning on going nearly full time starting late spring or early summer of next year. We do have about 4 years of limited RV experience in a large bumper pull trailer. This time however, we will be traveling about 9 months of every year with our mobile business. I've spent quite a bit of time looking through a great deal of info from this and other forums and think I've identified most of our requirements. I'd like to get your opinions based on the following:

1. We've decided to purchase a used unit. Our budget will be somewhere around $175-$225k. We want to keep the unit for a long time. Should we be looking to buy something fairly new (2-4 years old) or spend the same money on a higher end unit but older (5-10 years old)? For instance, we could get into a newer Entegra Aspire (maybe Anthem) or comparable versus say a '07-'08 Country Coach.

2. We'll be pulling an enclosed trailer that's 24.5' tip to tail and around 6k lbs. I'm somewhat concerned about getting over 65' total length due to the towing laws in some states. However, my research has shown that this is rarely enforced. Should I be concerned?

3. How much engine? The Cummins ISL seems to be the most popular in this range but, I've seen HP rating from 380-450. Is this done through programming and, if so, how does that impact reliability? I don't think I've seen anything in this range with an ISX. Some of the older units have the big CAT 525 though.

4. We'll be traveling with 2 dogs and 2 cats...

5. Reliability. As well be traveling for business, we can't really afford to be parked for days or weeks at a service center or at the manufacturer's facility. Part of this question goes back to question #1, newer vs older.

Coaches that seem to fit the bill so far are:
Entegra Aspire or Anthem
Tiffin Allegro Bus
Newmar Dutch Star or Mountain Aire
Country Coach

I've also looked into the Super C Dynamax DX3 and Force HD units. These were recommended by a friend for ease of engine/chassis maintenance and front collision safety.

Any insights and experiences you all may have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance everyone
1. We recently acquired an '06 Country Coach, plus a towed and the tow package, for less than your low budget. We purchased from a dealer in Junction City, OR, and delivery was wonderful. The tires and batteries are a year old. The foggy windows have all been repaired. The coach has the Cat C-13 525 hp 1650lb torque engine. All filters and fluids were changed. After using it for over 2 weeks two water leaks were discovered and a quick trip back to the dealer and they were resolved. "Quick Trip" is a 7hour drive each way, but well worth it. The competence and experience in Junction City is amazing. They know all the systems, and they sell and service all the major upscale brands, even if they are no longer made.

We started out looking at actual bus conversions, such as Prevost and Bluebird Wanderlodge for the structural integrity, and liked the CC semi-monocoque shell as it is very close to the Prevost, and different in a good way from the box on rails approach. We also liked the pre-emissions engines, and the fact that the builders were still profitable in 2006 and had not started on cost reductions yet. Also, the overall design looks quite similar to the current models.

All the makes you listed are respected names. I am partial for the above reasons. Perhaps the most critical item is deciding who to buy from in terms of long term support and service. If your business will require travel, consider returning to the original or a trusted dealer/servicer once a year for any needed service and repair

2. Get a Motor Carrier Atlas, which shows where large rigs can go. Rand McNally publishes them. If you proposed route is not shown in enhanced red, there is a reason and you need to avoid it. Overlength is not usually an issue unless you did something else to trigger a stop.

3. The bigger issue is Torque in my opinion. Over the road commercial trucks usually start at around 1400lbs and go up from there. I had a truck and trailer combo the weighed 32,000lbs and at 800lbs torque was a dog on the hills. My simple rule is 400hp/1400lb torque is a minimum, 500+hp and 1600lb torque is ideal.

4. Critter comfort is important. If they are happy, so are you. Be sure they like the ride.

5. Reilability is a guessing game, new or used. Most coaches seem to be at the 5,000 mile a year useage level. That is sort of the minimum, as seals and such don't like to sit unused. The diesel engines in these coaches are generally rated at around 1 million miles mean time before failure, meaning about equal numbers are more that that and less than that, so call it 750,000 miles for possible problems. An RV will not hit those numbers.

Change all the fluids and filters annually or at 15,000 miles and things should last a very long time.

Best wishes.
__________________
2006 Intrigue Ovation 42'
#11968
Terry Jay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2016, 08:20 AM   #20
Member
 
meddiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Florida
Posts: 48
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Jay View Post
1. We recently acquired an '06 Country Coach, plus a towed and the tow package, for less than your low budget. We purchased from a dealer in Junction City, OR, and delivery was wonderful. The tires and batteries are a year old. The foggy windows have all been repaired. The coach has the Cat C-13 525 hp 1650lb torque engine. All filters and fluids were changed. After using it for over 2 weeks two water leaks were discovered and a quick trip back to the dealer and they were resolved. "Quick Trip" is a 7hour drive each way, but well worth it. The competence and experience in Junction City is amazing. They know all the systems, and they sell and service all the major upscale brands, even if they are no longer made.

We started out looking at actual bus conversions, such as Prevost and Bluebird Wanderlodge for the structural integrity, and liked the CC semi-monocoque shell as it is very close to the Prevost, and different in a good way from the box on rails approach. We also liked the pre-emissions engines, and the fact that the builders were still profitable in 2006 and had not started on cost reductions yet. Also, the overall design looks quite similar to the current models.

All the makes you listed are respected names. I am partial for the above reasons. Perhaps the most critical item is deciding who to buy from in terms of long term support and service. If your business will require travel, consider returning to the original or a trusted dealer/servicer once a year for any needed service and repair

2. Get a Motor Carrier Atlas, which shows where large rigs can go. Rand McNally publishes them. If you proposed route is not shown in enhanced red, there is a reason and you need to avoid it. Overlength is not usually an issue unless you did something else to trigger a stop.

3. The bigger issue is Torque in my opinion. Over the road commercial trucks usually start at around 1400lbs and go up from there. I had a truck and trailer combo the weighed 32,000lbs and at 800lbs torque was a dog on the hills. My simple rule is 400hp/1400lb torque is a minimum, 500+hp and 1600lb torque is ideal.

4. Critter comfort is important. If they are happy, so are you. Be sure they like the ride.

5. Reilability is a guessing game, new or used. Most coaches seem to be at the 5,000 mile a year useage level. That is sort of the minimum, as seals and such don't like to sit unused. The diesel engines in these coaches are generally rated at around 1 million miles mean time before failure, meaning about equal numbers are more that that and less than that, so call it 750,000 miles for possible problems. An RV will not hit those numbers.

Change all the fluids and filters annually or at 15,000 miles and things should last a very long time.

Best wishes.
What is the name of the RV dealer in Grand junction? I will be going through there in a new or two and need some minor work done.
meddiver is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2016, 10:15 PM   #21
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NW AZ and Kenai Peninsula
Posts: 207
Well, it is Junction City, OR, and Grand Junction is in CO. In OR, try Oregon Motor Coach, Premier RV, or Country Coach/Winnebago. All are excellent, I used Premier.
__________________
2006 Intrigue Ovation 42'
#11968
Terry Jay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2016, 08:36 AM   #22
Senior Member
 
FatChance's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,984
We just went through this. After a lot of research and looking, we bought a '04 Newmar Mountain Aire 4016 with the 400ISL and IFS Freightliner XC chassis. The three slide floor plan is perfect for two full-timing.

I got it from the second owner and all maintenance was complete and up to date. Both he and the first owner were meticulous about maintenance. Included was a 30" tall stack of 3 ring binders with all of the maintenance records since new, factory manuals and manuals for every system in the coach. 6 new batteries, new 37" Samsung front TV, satellite dish, it runs and drives like a dream. I did put 6 new Toyo tires on it so everything is good to go.

It was 1300 miles from us but since it was exactly what we wanted I drove down to see it and negotiated the purchase then flew down and drove it back. We could not be happier with it. It is a used, well built upper level coach made by a quality company, still in business, that is in excellent condition for a very reasonable cost.
__________________
'04 Newmar Mountain Aire 4016
400ISL/Freightliner
FatChance is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 09:05 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
Clayhammer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Southern Arizona
Posts: 105
Thanks everyone for all the great insight and suggestions. Our near term plans have changed a little. We've decided to part time it for the next couple of years which changed our coach budget and requirements for the time being.

We ended up making an offer on a '03 Tiffin Allegro Bus with the Cummins ISL 400hp. We really like the floor plan, has some nice upgrades, service records, newer tires all around and new batteries (house and chassis). We should be taking delivery early next week assuming the pre-purchase inspection doesn't turn up any bad stuff.

Thanks again and see you on the road!
__________________
Clayhammer - Mike
2003 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40-TGP
DW: 1969 Tucsonan in Like-New Condition
Clayhammer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-19-2016, 12:33 AM   #24
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Bonney Lake, WA
Posts: 140
We have the ISL 400. Good torque and power. You won't "normally" need more than 1/2 throttle. Good engine. Have fun out there!
Gary737 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hello to all! New first time full-timers RunawayJim New Member Check-In 5 09-02-2016 07:54 AM
First Timers, Full Timers, is this rig too big? huntpalmer Full-Timers 9 07-15-2012 07:35 AM
First Timers, Full Timers, is this rig too big? huntpalmer 5th Wheel Discussion 20 06-13-2012 03:20 PM
First Time Full Timers kathyend444 New Member Check-In 5 06-27-2011 07:28 PM
First time full timers OnTheMove Full-Timers 5 03-03-2009 06:51 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:57 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.