American Coach: Considering 2000-2004 American Eagle/Dream/Tradition-Advice?

[Inthe70s]

Hello,

My wife and I currently own a '97 Rexhall Aerbus 36' built on the Ford F53 w/460, tag and 1 superslide. I have restored it and we have never had any problems with it. It has served our family very well. I would now like to move up to the next level and purchase a used DP as a "starter". I am considering the 2002-2004 American Coach Eagle/Dream/Tradition. Something around 40-42' and with 2 or more slides. I have been around RVs my entire life and have owned several as well as restored several older vintage RVs and cars/trucks, however I have never owned a diesel vehicle. I enjoy working on vehicles/RVs as a hobby and seem to enjoy doing tedious, detailed work to bring something back to it's original beauty. I also will do a variety of maintenance, upgrades, etc. however at this stage of my life, I am no longer interested in doing a major "project" or heavy work. I'm not easily scared away from minor issues or work.

Here are my questions for your advice:

1. Are there problematic years of the American Coach that you recommend I avoid and if so, what are they and/or why?
2. Is there an engine that you recommend? I live in Colorado, however we do not drive through the mountains much and generally travel on flat land. We do not anticipate towing anything. I am guessing that something around 350 HP would suffice but not sure of the best engine make.
3. Is there anything specific to the American coach, coach wise or mechanical, that I should look for once I begin my search other than the usual maintenance records and history, water damage, rust, tire rot?
4. Any other relevant advice or thoughts are welcome.

Thank you very much for your expertise and have a happy holiday!
Terry

I am

[oldnavycdr]

As per my signature, I have a 2004 American Eagle. It was a lightly used but poorly maintained coach. Still, I've had very few issues with it. The 400 HP Cummins ISL runs strong. Things to look for is the make of the jack system. Mine are Equalizer and the coach had been frequently parked on soft soil and the pads were bent and rusted. The jack model was obsolete and not supported. One froze and I replaced the system. Check under the generator cradle for rust. Technology in these vintage coaches is obsolete -- no HDMI cables for HD. Windows fogged requiring repair. Overall, we are very pleased with the coach and I am slowly updating things. Other than the jack system I've not put in big $ outside of maintenance. Get a good price and you can have a high end coach.

[FormerBoater]

Full disclosure: I am a big fan of American coaches.


I would favor the search for the American Eagles for the following reasons:


-Tour bus style cargo doors with most Eagles having the optional cargo slide out trays


-Generator on an electric slide for ease of servicing


-All Eagles will be riding on a Spartan chassis


-Fiberglass roofs on all Eagles


-Most Eagles were ordered with many upgrades i.e. leather chairs and sofas


The American Eagle was the flagship for Fleetwood during most of the years that you are considering. Top quality materials were used and the workmanship (fit/finish) is excellent. (Please note that this applies to Dreams and Traditions as well).


I believe that the Dreams and Traditions in the years you are considering will have some but not all of the features listed above. The tour bus style cargo doors are exclusive to the Eagle.


The one big negative is the ball joint issues with the Spartan chassis Independent Front Suspension. The "lubed for life" ball joint boots disintegrate and cannot be lubricated with conventional grease like the other chassis and drive line components. Many replace theirs at significant expense, but the replacements are also without grease zerks and ultimately develop the same issues.


Our vintage Eagle will be 23 years old next March and has 114K miles on the clock. We have kept the ball joints lubricated by using a product developed by Boeing, (Boeshield T-9). The boots were gone when we purchased the coach 12 years and 67,000 miles ago. A liberal spray with the Boeing product has kept the ball joints in good shape as this product has excellent wicking properties and penetrates the ball joint where the lubrication is needed.


Most Americans will have Cummins engines married with an Allison 3060 six speed transmission. This is an excellent combination. Service and parts availability are excellent. Most will have either the ISC 8.3 liter engine or the 8.9 liter version that is basically a bored out ISC.


If ride height is set correctly, tires aired to the proper inflation, alignment in spec these units will be a dream to drive. Thermal and acoustical insulation is very good giving you a very comfortable and quiet drive down the highway.


Happy hunting!!

[Jake21]

We have an 02 Eagle. It has served us well. 8 years full timing and over 100,000 miles logged. 170k on the clock now.

Check for rust in and under the basement storage. Especially in the wet bay and battery bay. Ours is in good shape but I hear that it can be a problem. We did have to replace the floor in the battery bay due to acid corrosion. 2500.00. The ISL400 is known for having a leak in the lift pump and also cracks in the manifold. We have replaced both but that is all the work we have done on the engine. Also installed new inverter. So aside from the other usual repairs and replacements for a coach this old (new water heater, rear AC, tires, batteries) she has been good. All systems ie: Hurricane furnace, leveling jacks, generator, function perfectly. Windows are fog free.

We jumped in 8 years ago with only 60k on the clock. i thought i had found a gem. Turns out that when we started full timing we shook a lot of smaller issues to the surface. The coach just wasn’t used that much. But they were mostly fixed by me on the road.

Dark paint in these years is know for micro cracks under the clear coat. There is no fix. I can see some on the slides but only if i am up close. Doesn’t bother me.

Prices are all over the place as you will find out. Over all, they are good units if taken care of. IMO.
Jake

[Meames1]

Formerboater pretty much covers it. I too am a big fan, but mine is also my first DP so, maybe biased. They are very nice coaches for the time frame and built very well. As Jake21 said, look closely for rust on the basement compartments. Overall a great coach.

[Jake21]

I had forgotten about the ball joints as said. We still have the originals. Boots also gone when we purchased. I have them checked for play about 1 per year depending on the mileage that year. They are still good.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Be aware that there was a major redesign in 2004, where the Dream was dropped from the product line-up, the Liberty modular chassis created, and the Tradition moved up to be a semi-Eagle. Some 2004/2005 Traditions are known as Treagles because they have been optioned with much of the Eagle's extra features. 2004 & 2005 also offered a choice of Spartan or Freightliner chassis; both were excellent. Debates about one vs the other are mostly Ford-Chevy things rather than anything substantive.

Prior to those years, the Tradition was a mostly separate design while the Dream was the lower end Eagle. The pre-2004 Tradition remains a very popular coach even today. Many people consider the 2003 Dream to be a real classic design, the last & best of the previous generation. There were some undercarriage corrosion problems in the pre-2004 models due to the use of dissimilar metals in the storage bays, so take a long look underneath on those years.


The Eagles are always a bit nicer inside and out, but the importance of the differences is often a matter of personal preference.

[Inthe70s]

Hi All,

I want to thank everyone for their information and advice. This is extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! I do believe that my potential choice of an American coach has been confirmed by you folks. Now, I just need to determine the right time and then begin the search.

Thank you very much and I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season!
Terry

[Maik]

I am also a fan of the Eagles. They are the nicest coaches of the line; in the pre 2004's. The main area to look for corrosion is in the basement. As discussed it is a lot to do with dissimilar metals. I have had the unfortunate problem with corrosion that will require the full basement to be replaced. I picked mine up at 62K and now have over 87k is six years. If the coach comes with maintenance records it will make it easier to determine the condition.
Good luck with your search.

[Trexoffroad]

I have a 1999 Tradition and it is a very nice coach. My first so I am biased. I had to replace ball joints, tie rod ends, drag link, and steering box because it was just too scary to drive otherwise. Mine has two slides. Overall we love it but I wish it had more power.

[sledhead]

After searching for a used motor home for about a year we were told of a 2000 A merican Eagle for sale through a family friend, it was a little older than we had planned to buy, but we decided to go have a look, the coach was owned by a older couple, the husband had passed and the family was trying to sell it, being unfamiliar with the American line of coaches we really didn't know what to expect, what we found was a beautiful 40 ft coach with all hardwood cabinets a frig/freezer in one of the bottom compartments, a safe, a huge frig with a icemaker, a washer dryer that works great, nice big shower, a power reclining passenger seat and many many more features we had not seen on any other coaches we looked at.
The coach sits on a Spartan chassie with a cummins 8.3 ISC and a Allison 6 speed trans, the side mount radiator makes checking oil levels, belts and pre trip inspections easy through the the rear compartment doors, with the air bag suspension it rides like a dream
,and the exhaust brake is a big help in the mountains.
Issues, as per a earlier poster the boots were rotted on the ball joints, we opted to replace them, $2000 parts and labor but that included new ft brakes, the tray for the batteries was rotten, as a mech/ welder I fixed it for about $100, and the front power slide out generator wasn't sending power to the inverter, it turned out the circuit breaker and junction terminal were both bad, $100 for parts from the cummins dealer, any other repairs were made just because I like to tinker.
The engine is great starts right up even after sitting for months, have been told it's bullet proof, the draw back is only 350 HP, in the mountains it struggles, it climbs fine, your just not going to be doing 60 mph, I think on newer models that was increased.
We have not regretted our purchase and if you can find a model that fits you needs and price I would recommend it.

2000 American Eagle
2015 Silverado (towd)
2004 Freestar on a Master Tow dolly ( when we take the grand kids)
1947 Buick convertible just for fun

[bneiva]

I own own one of the very first editions of the 2003 Tradition. I special ordered it in Jan 2002 and it was delivered to me in March 2002. It has been on the road now for almost 19 years and has 140,000 miles on it. Many of the "typical" problems with this class has been discussed above and I experience many of them. I can honestly tell you that all the American models built in that time frame were well built coaches and as many times as I looked at replacing the one I have, I am so happy that I never did! The secret to owning one is very simple - inspect every square inch of it often and make all the $100.00 repairs before they turn into $1000.00 repairs! Good luck in your search! Bill

[mrwrench]

Go for Eagle , I have a 2000 Eagle and it's a pleasure driving it ....even with the BJ boot broken...

[bneiva]

Originally Posted by mrwrench

Go for Eagle , I have a 2000 Eagle and it's a pleasure driving it ....even with the BJ boot broken...

I haven't run across too many of the older Americans that I didn't like. However, I would recommend to anybody looking to buy one now to be sure to have a close inspection performed on the suspension.

In all fairness, this pertains to any make coach!!