About to Purchase 08 Monarch

[MizzouriMule]

30' SFS with less than 11k and I was wondering about the full wall slide and any recalls. We are downsizing from a 40' Horizon and going to a gas unit.

Anything will help us with our decision.

[goldwingerx2]

Can't help you with your specific model but I can tell you that we are very happy with our 2005 Monarch 30PDD. We had a couple of very minor problems after taking delivery which the dealer promptly fixed, and have not had a single problem or complaint since. Have over 30M miles on it now and have had it to Alaska and South every year. I would not hesitate to buy another Monarch. Ours in on a Ford Chassis and we pull a 25 foot enclosed trailer with our Goldwing and Gem in it.

[I-ramble]

We have a Holiday Ramble 30ft Admiral, which is the same thing. We have had it for just five months, but are completely happy with the full slide. No problems. It provides a lot of space. I am not 100% happy with the handling though. There seems to be too much lean. Have to be extra careful with turns and going in and out of parking lots. Am considering heavier anti-sway bars and maybe heavier shocks. Our previous motor home was a 29ft Rexhall Airbus on a Ford chassis which the Admiral is also on a Ford chassis.

[hardy1000]

Originally Posted by I-ramble

We have a Holiday Ramble 30ft Admiral, which is the same thing. We have had it for just five months, but are completely happy with the full slide. No problems. It provides a lot of space. I am not 100% happy with the handling though. There seems to be too much lean. Have to be extra careful with turns and going in and out of parking lots. Am considering heavier anti-sway bars and maybe heavier shocks. Our previous motor home was a 29ft Rexhall Airbus on a Ford chassis which the Admiral is also on a Ford chassis.

I-Ramble,

I had the same problem with leaning with my 2000 LaPalma (gasser) and added Bilstein shocks and problem solved.

[I-ramble]

I'm wondering what would be the difference between Konis and Bilsteins?

[TTT1953]

We have had our 30SFS since March 08. We have had no trouble with the full wall slide and love the room it gives us. As far as leaning and swaying, I installed a rear trac bar and a steer safe stabilizer and now I love the way it handles. Ours is on a Ford chasis and came with Bilsteins.

[brucemcdou]

MissouriMule - we have a 2008 Monarch 33SFS Manufactured in December 07 and bought new in July of 08. Our rig is the same as the 30 SFS you're considering but just stretched a few feet. It was important for us to get the Workhorse chassis rather than Ford; many have strong opinions about one vs the other but we prefer the ride of the WH.

We've had no problems with the full-wall slide, but we did rip the slide-out cover by driving in high winds . Needless to say, replacing the cover was a big-ticket item and you have to get them from the manufacturer. Monaco was still in business when this happened and CareFree would not sell directly to us but only through Monaco; not sure how'd they handle that today.

We've also had some electrical issues which we think are Monaco's and not Workhorses. In both cases the straps used to install and hold up electrical cabling gave way and the wires were damaged as a result. In one case the main cable from the battery bank to the 12V fuse box in the bedroom fell onto the drive shaft and wore through to bare copper, shorting out everything and giving a shower of sparks. In the other case one of the electrical harnesses on the engine fell onto the exhaust manifold and melted through the plastic to the copper. Both were likely due to sloppy assembling by Monaco. These both occurred at about the one-year point with about 12k miles, but both were after Monaco was gone so we've paid for both. I'd suggest you lay down and examine all cables visually before buying, and repeat every few months (and all other Monarch and Admiral owners too!).

All that said, we've really enjoyed our Monarch - the fit and finish is generally very high, we like having a smaller moho which can go most places, and she's been a joy to use with the exceptions noted above. Good luck with your decision!

[phredsee]

Originally Posted by MizzouriMule

30' SFS with less than 11k and I was wondering about the full wall slide and any recalls. We are downsizing from a 40' Horizon and going to a gas unit.

Anything will help us with our decision.

Having just purchased our Monaco mid October, so far we are very pleased with the motor home. Full wall slide was one of the main reasons for buying this coach for the added floor space and no problems with it to date.

As others have said on the minor side, have tank sensors not working, wiring is terrible behind the scenes but they all seem to be have that issue and correcting that myself, handling isn't too bad but again have Redlands Truck and RV Center solving that problem this week. No other complaints and waiting until February to see if anything else needs fixin before taking it in for warranty repairs.

There are many coaches similar in style and quality and check out as many as you can to make the proper choice. Big factors include storage, cabinets, bedroom night stands, ample windows in each area, bathroom size, etc, etc. We were actually sold on a Tiffin Alegro Bay or Winnebago Adventurer and not taking anything away from either of those two, the Monaco won out for us but was a very close call. You guessed it, the DW pushed the decision over the edge.

So there you have it, hope this helps with what you're currently looking at and good luck with what you decide.

[MonacoMama]

MizzouriMule...
Welcome to iRV2 ! We own the full slide in a 40ft Diplomat so our slide is almost the full length of your coach.

I will tell you that I love the full slide floorplan. The only floorplan better in my book would be one that I design myself - but I don't have the money for that.

You did not tell us what year the rig is that you are looking at - that can make a difference. We have had issues with the gasket teeth rusting out - but we have been told that the gasket material had been changed - so it may not be an issue for you. What is even funnier - I think SacsTC (my husband) told me that it is the same gasket material on our other two slides ...and we have had no problems with them.

I hope this has helped..we look forward to hearing what you decide on!

[Ceratto's Grotto]

We have an 08 30SFS. No problems with the slide out.

Someone mentioned handling and while this was our first large class A in over 20 years and I had no memory of the last RV we had in order to compare handling, I was concerned enough with the handling characteristics in general and what I read on various boards that I had some upgrades made on our first long trip based upon Brazel's RV test drives of my rig:

• New Koni shocks (they OEMs were already leaking)
• Saftey Steer on the front
• Rear Stabilizer
• Alignment

• The ABS light kept coming on and while this was not due to the recent Workhorse recall issues, it was corrected when a lose connection was found on the ABS main controller box and a couple of the wheels
• A small brace was welded onto the exhaust to help prevent torque in the pipes which could cause a gasket failure issue that some times occurs (and was costly but not a serious danger issue)

After that first trip the handling was much better, but I still noticed handling issues when semis and other large vehicles passed us (the typical push). This last trip I made a couple more modifications to improve handling.

• I added AirTabs and this reduced the push to nothing for most semis of the conventional cab style and almost nothing for large flat faced rigs such as buses and RVs and COE semis. The AirTab claims of better gas milage I did not confirm as I really don't drive enough miles to be able to confirm a small improvement. (I already get about 10mpg).

After confirming the AirTabs affect I also added a couple more suspension items to help handling.

• Front Stabilizer
• Front Anti-Sway Bar

All of the suspension items except the AirTabs, I had installed by Brazel's RV in Washington State.

I think as tall as the 30 SFS is and its short wheel base I suspect the handling is more respectable to outside forces than most other rigs that are not as tall and/or longer and/or better suspension system designs in general (IE: diesel rigs with air suspension systems)

In any case, we just completed our second 1,700 mile drive to the SW from WA state and I feel the handling is now much better and safer now.

Not as good as the Mini Cooper though.

[Flyer]

We downsized from a 40' Endeavor to a 32' Winnebago with a full wall slide. I can't speak to the Monarch, but the full wall slide is great. When you walk in with the slide out it appears much biger than it is. No problems, yet. The only issue with downsizing is going from diesel to gas. I miss the torque, but I would do it again. MPG is about the same, power is less. Hope this helps.
Flyer

[hardy1000]

Originally Posted by I-ramble

I'm wondering what would be the difference between Konis and Bilsteins?

I only have experience with the Bilsteins and they were great, fixed the leaning problem. By the way that was Monaco's reccomendation.

[brucemcdou]

Question for Cerratto's Grotto (there must be an interesting story behind that name?): You say you've added both a rear and front "stabilizer" to your 08 Monarch 30' SFS. I'm not clear what you mean by "stabilizer" if not anti-sway bars, but it looks as if you added a front anti-sway bar at the same time you added a front stabilizer?

Which brand did you use? Any particular reason you put them on the rear first and only later the front?

We're looking for the best bang for the buck to reduce lean and sway on curves in our 33 SFS and am looking at front and rear anti-sway bars next. I am very interested in your experience because it looks as if you've done each upgrade carefully and thoughtfully, waiting after each one to see the benefits.

[katoommaster]

I went from a gas to diesel engine and would not trade it back. we love the power when it comes to long hills slow and steady no engine racing and heat problems. My gas rv was nice just to small needed to tow my sons dirt bikes jeep and all other toys.