Community Forums

brownb · 04-26-2011, 08:13 AM

hi group,

i am a new member and am in the market for a class a motorhome. i have found one that i like but was wondering what you as owners and experienced RV'ers think. it is a fleetwood pace arrow 36B.

my concerns are 1)the long overhang between the rear axle and the rear of the coach. 2) will this affect towing a 4400lb vehicle? are there solutions to that? 3) any common problems with the 8.1 workhorse engine/chassis? 4) anybody know about extended warranties and which companies are better than others?

thanks in advance,
bruce

The General · 04-26-2011, 08:29 AM

Hi Bruce,

We will need a little more info, if possible:

Year, mileage, private party contact, maintenance records, recall completions.

Steve

High Plains · 04-26-2011, 12:12 PM

Hi Brownb, welcome ti IRV2. We have a 2005 36B. The handle is wonderful and tows very good. Of course I'm comparing the ride to a 1993 P32 chassis. The Workhorse has a few recalls including one for the brakes, you can check the VIN on WH's website. We just had the work done and thankfully it was painless.

When we got the coach we had the usual murphey's law type deal like propane alarm going out but other than that we have enjoyed the coach.

brownb · 04-27-2011, 08:39 AM

...high plains for the info on the pace arrow 36b. have you the door to enter awkward at all with the slideout being right on the other side? did you have to put heavy duty springs or air bags in the rear of the coach to tow. it looks like it would sag in the rear if using a tow dolly. i can't find specs on the rig anywhere on the internet, do you know how big the fuel tank is? what kind of gas mileage do you get. thanks, we are getting serious about buying one and have numerous questions.

brownb · 04-27-2011, 08:41 AM

...sorry, do not understand the need for all the info you requested.
THX,
bruce

The General · 04-27-2011, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownb

...sorry, do not understand the need for all the info you requested.
THX,
bruce

I'll spell it out then:
Year of chasis mfg: chasis change and are improved by manufacturers as the years go by.
Odometer Mileage can estimate wear and tear on suspension etc.
Private party contact: you could gain a lot of info if able to talk with last private owner
Maintenance records: show what has been done and what is required
Recall and completions: Check with chasis mfgr for recalls on RV

Steve

brownb · 04-27-2011, 11:41 AM

general,
thanks for clarifyimg. i don't have all this info as the pace arrow 36b is on ebay for sale in arizona. will work on that. it seems this forum is for people that have already bought and are sorting out various things.
THX,
bruce

The General · 04-27-2011, 11:57 AM

Bruce,

I apologize for being a bit gruff.
If I was thinking of buying any RV I would ask the same info of the seller
to see what kind of a deal I would be entering into.
Can you direct me to the website so I could help you?

Info is king,

Steve

High Plains · 04-27-2011, 12:23 PM

Bruce,
The entry door is no problem with the slide there, however we wish the awning would cover more area and was more adjustable but with a curb side slide like that it can't be done. We didn't have to do anything to the chassis and we flat tow. The fuel tank is 75 gallons and we got about 5mpg while towing last summer on our 3100 mile trip. Back roads without towing is about 8 or 9 MPG back and forth to our favorite spot. pacearrowclub.com has file downloads but I don't think there forum is up.

**JohnRR** · 04-27-2011, 12:32 PM

My 06 38L is a W24 still with the long overhang I accidentally test towed my 2 axle trailer with my 98 Explorer Sport on it for 300 miles, it handled it with no problems on all 2 lane roads.

I've since learned how to add figures in my head

and won't be 300lbs over on the towed weight again. If you get a smaller chassis than the W24 your tow weight will be less than my 6000lbs.

alvinc · 04-27-2011, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownb

hi group,

i am a new member and am in the market for a class a motorhome. i have found one that i like but was wondering what you as owners and experienced RV'ers think. it is a fleetwood pace arrow 36B.

my concerns are 1)the long overhang between the rear axle and the rear of the coach.

thanks in advance,
bruce

I'll take on the first question.

The long overhang will not be a problem for towing. As long as the toad is properly set up it will track the rear of the RV with no problems. That is as you make a right turn the toad will initially track to the left and as the turn completes will track back to the right.

One thing that you as the driver will need to be aware of, is the overhang. As you turn it will kick out towards the opposite side and is something to watch as you turn.

Gary RVRoamer · 04-27-2011, 06:46 PM

You need to find out what year the coach is and which chassis. It's probably a Workhorse W22 under a 36 foot Pace, but make sure.

4400 lbs is a bit heavy to tow with that chassis. If the coach weighs the full 22,000 lbs the W22 is rated for, then the remaining tow capacity is only 4000 lbs. If it weighs in a bit less, say 21,000 lbs, then the 4400 lb toad is ok.

The long rear overhang is typical of gas chassis coaches and not really a problem, except perhaps dragging on steep driveways.

Extended warranties are whole discussion by itself. Rather than re-hash it all here, may I suggest that you use SEARCH to locate and read the many, many previous threads on this subject.

brownb · 04-28-2011, 04:55 PM

wow,
thanks for the response everyone and great info. nice to know people are willing to share there knowledge! i've had rv's before but never a class a motorhome so i have many questions. i've got a lot to learn.

the motorhome is a 2003, about 32,000 miles and is listed on ebay under pace arrow 36b. i'm waiting to hear back from the dealer on details you asked about. i booked it on nada rv guides but it is difficult to get the exact amount because there are so many options. it would be nice to have a window sticker listing the options. not sure if nada is relevant right now with slowed economy, any thoughts. they have a buy it now price of $54,000. i will probably wait and go to arizona and take it for a test drive b/4 making such a large purchase. also, i like the idea of a driver's door, anybody have anything good or bad to say about that? the 5mpg while towing is a little depressing but i guess that is why people step up to diesel engines. i'm a little worried whether the 8.1litre gas engine can tow a 4400lb toad on a tow dolly.
thanks again,
bruce

alvinc · 04-28-2011, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownb

The 5mpg while towing is a little depressing but i guess that is why people step up to diesel engines. i'm a little worried whether the 8.1litre gas engine can tow a 4400lb toad on a tow dolly.
thanks again,
bruce

One note about gas mileage..... it depends a lot on how fast and how aggressive the driver is, both factors cause a drop in mileage. We get around 6 mpg.

The 8.1L gas engine will have no problem with the toad. There are a lot of us who tow 4K lb vehicles all over the US, including me. We have the 2002 Workhorse chassis with the 8.1L and it has towed our Jeep Wrangler all over the West. Remember out West is where the big US mountains are. We live in Portland OR and we have towed through British Columbia, to Edmonton Canada, to South Dakota, Southern Utah, Arizona, etc. We have passed a lot of slower vehicles and been passed by faster vehicles.

I would not hesitate to buy another 8.1L powered RV.

BTW: a good investment if you decide to get it would be to do the Brazel engine updates: Brazel's RV Centralia Washington In particular the UltraPower Engine performance upgrade.

Looking at the ebay listing, the 22.5" wheels is good, wish I had them. I also like the high mounted awning extensions.

One thing to ask, is what upgrades have been done, track bars, anti-sway bars, shock replacement, etc.