|
09-24-2015, 02:00 PM
|
#1
|
Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 59
|
Model Hierarchy?
DW & I are looking at American Coaches, 1995-2002 model years. I do not understand the model hierarchy between the Tradition, Eagle, and Dream models 38 to 40 ft. Which is the Chevy, the Buick, and the Cadillac?
I've also looked at some Fleetwood Discoverys of that same vintage and they look very similar - how do they fit in there?
Thanks,
Joe in St Louis
|
|
|
|
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!
|
09-24-2015, 02:14 PM
|
#2
|
New to the RV World
Vintage RV Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 3,092
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jumpjg
DW & I are looking at American Coaches, 1995-2002 model years. I do not understand the model hierarchy between the Tradition, Eagle, and Dream models 38 to 40 ft. Which is the Chevy, the Buick, and the Cadillac?
I've also looked at some Fleetwood Discoverys of that same vintage and they look very similar - how do they fit in there?
Thanks,
Joe in St Louis
|
Take a look at this link, it will explain the lines, when they were in assistance and which is higher and lower in the food chain.
American Coach History
American coach is a good quality coach.
|
|
|
09-25-2015, 10:25 AM
|
#3
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,671
|
All the Fleetwood branded models (Discovery, et al) are "below" any of the American Coach models. The differences are substantial, too, especially in the vintage you are looking at.
I suspect the AC people would say all their models are Cadillacs (or maybe Caddies and Buicks), and the Fleetwood models are the Chevrolets.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
|
|
|
09-26-2015, 04:23 AM
|
#4
|
Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 59
|
Thanks guys for your replies. I read the history link above but it was very vague, as if the Dream, Eagle, and Tradition were all about the same. I found a section at American Coaches site that had owners manuals back to '97, listed in the order of Dream, Eagle, and Tradition but that may have been an alphabetical listing. Still not sure but they all look very nice!
Joe in St Louis
|
|
|
09-26-2015, 11:34 AM
|
#5
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,671
|
It's messy.
The official hierarchy at that time was (top to bottom) Heritage, Eagle, Dream, Tradition. Then in 2004 the Dream was dropped and the Tradition moved up a notch. In 2006 the Allegiance was added below the Tradition, and later the Revolution was brought in below that as a full-fledged AC model (it had been sold as a Fleetwood model before that). That makes the current (2016) hierarchy as follows: Heritage, Eagle, Tradition, Allegiance, Revolution.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
|
|
|
09-28-2015, 08:54 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,767
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer
...That makes the current (2016) hierarchy as follows: Heritage, Eagle, Tradition, Allegiance, Revolution...
|
Correct. We had an '09 Allegiance...it was discontinued after the '10 model year and brought back this year as a '16 model. If you check floor plans, many are the same or quite similar for each model. The differences are the bells and whistles.
__________________
2014 American Eagle 45T
DD 13, 500 HP
Pulling a Honda CRV
|
|
|
09-29-2015, 04:51 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: N.E. Florida
Posts: 1,399
|
I can only speak to the "vintage" years of 90's. These comments apply to the Eagle, Dream and Tradition models:
-Eagles had fiberglass roofs, Dreams and Traditions had rubber roofs...Dreams went fiberglass around 99 if memory servers.
-Eagle, Dream and then Tradition was the pecking order.
-Eagle and Dreams were identical in outward appearance, Traditions had a different "look" to them (in other words it was hard to tell the difference between the Eagle and the Dream from a distance).
-Eagle main improvements over the Dream were:
-Roof as mentioned above
-Pantograph cargo doors vs. conventional (a la Prevost or any OTR/Tour Bus)
-Eagle generators were on a hydraulic slide for ease of service
-Eagles had the "fire truck" 325 HP engines , Dreams and Traditions 300 HP
All American Coaches of this vintage road on a Spartan Chassis and were powered by Cummins 8.3 displacement engines married to Allison 3060 transmissions. Gillig chassis were an upgrade for around $20K for Eagles and Dreams...don't know about the Traditions.
The pre-99s were the mechanical C8.3's (great mechanical units), 99's were the first electronic ISC's.
Someone else will have to chime in for the 2001 + years. The 90's body styles for the Eagle, Dream, and Tradition was offered in 2000 for the last time. The body style changed in 2001 for all 3 models.
As stated above, same floor plans were offered for all 3 models.
__________________
DaveS
1998 American Eagle 40EVS
|
|
|
09-29-2015, 06:57 PM
|
#8
|
New to the RV World
Vintage RV Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 3,092
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by FormerBoater
I can only speak to the "vintage" years of 90's. These comments apply to the Eagle, Dream and Tradition models:
-Eagles had fiberglass roofs, Dreams and Traditions had rubber roofs...Dreams went fiberglass around 99 if memory servers.
-Eagle, Dream and then Tradition was the pecking order.
-Eagle and Dreams were identical in outward appearance, Traditions had a different "look" to them (in other words it was hard to tell the difference between the Eagle and the Dream from a distance).
-Eagle main improvements over the Dream were:
-Roof as mentioned above
-Pantograph cargo doors vs. conventional (a la Prevost or any OTR/Tour Bus)
-Eagle generators were on a hydraulic slide for ease of service
-Eagles had the "fire truck" 325 HP engines , Dreams and Traditions 300 HP
All American Coaches of this vintage road on a Spartan Chassis and were powered by Cummins 8.3 displacement engines married to Allison 3060 transmissions. Gillig chassis were an upgrade for around $20K for Eagles and Dreams...don't know about the Traditions.
The pre-99s were the mechanical C8.3's (great mechanical units), 99's were the first electronic ISC's.
Someone else will have to chime in for the 2001 + years. The 90's body styles for the Eagle, Dream, and Tradition was offered in 2000 for the last time. The body style changed in 2001 for all 3 models.
As stated above, same floor plans were offered for all 3 models.
|
Dreams could also get the upgraded "Firetruck" engine the technical name is 6CTA, Ref # 53-34874-004 engine # 45358278, model C8.3-325.
The label is on top of the time gear cover and is hard to see
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|