Any Monaco Vesta Owners Here?

[tjd]

I have a 2012 Monaco Vesta 35PBD. Purchased it almost 2 months ago and have been on the road with it since May 28th with it.

I have not had any major issues with it. One day we could not get the awning to extend it was a Sunday so I could not call Monaco or my dealership for help. On Monday morning I decided to try it one more time before I called Monaco and it extended and has worked just fine since.

I have a list of things that need to be fixed once we get back home in a couple weeks to get repaired. The ice maker stopped working a week into our trip. I have not been able to get it working since. The air mattress in the pull out bed will not hold air. My poor son wakes up to a completely deflated bed every morning.

We have anything you would like to share about your Vesta?

[nodine]

Originally Posted by tjd

I have a 2012 Monaco Vesta 35PBD. Purchased it almost 2 months ago and have been on the road with it since May 28th with it.

I have not had any major issues with it. One day we could not get the awning to extend it was a Sunday so I could not call Monaco or my dealership for help. On Monday morning I decided to try it one more time before I called Monaco and it extended and has worked just fine since.

I have a list of things that need to be fixed once we get back home in a couple weeks to get repaired. The ice maker stopped working a week into our trip. I have not been able to get it working since. The air mattress in the pull out bed will not hold air. My poor son wakes up to a completely deflated bed every morning.

We have anything you would like to share about your Vesta?

There are a few owners on this site. Maybe none of them have seen your post yet. As to the awning, on our coach (not a Vesta) the awnings will not go in or out if the ignition switch is on.

Bob

[rg neumann]

We have a 2011 Vesta 32 and have had some minor problems as have all RV owners, regardless of make, but overall we are satisfied with the unit. Believe that having the 1st year of a model we had more problems than you will have. Mileage is ok (13mpg) after 13,000 miles in a year and have had no problems with the Max Force engine. As others have said, we wish the unit had exhaust brakes, believe 2012 has this feature, especially in mountainous terrain.

No problem with awning, but have only used it once. Try to situate rv so that the awning not a requirement.

In fact, we like the unit so much that I have inquired about the larger Vesta, but $$ not in our ballpark.

[tjd]

We have traveled a little over 3000 miles so far and our over all MPG is 11.2 so far.

I would say the biggest issue we have had so far (knock on wood) is the ice maker stop working within the first week.

We do have exhaust brakes in our 2012 35PBD and they are very useful. Actually I wonder if I use it to much.

Originally Posted by rg neumann

We have a 2011 Vesta 32 and have had some minor problems as have all RV owners, regardless of make, but overall we are satisfied with the unit. Believe that having the 1st year of a model we had more problems than you will have. Mileage is ok (13mpg) after 13,000 miles in a year and have had no problems with the Max Force engine. As others have said, we wish the unit had exhaust brakes, believe 2012 has this feature, especially in mountainous terrain.

No problem with awning, but have only used it once. Try to situate rv so that the awning not a requirement.

In fact, we like the unit so much that I have inquired about the larger Vesta, but $$ not in our ballpark.

[JamesJDion]

We have a 2012 Vesta 32 PBS. We special ordered it at the Tampa Super Show in January and took delivery on May7, 2012. We downsized from a 40' Allegro Bus.
Our Special order:
Residential refrigerator (GE 12 cf)
No LPG (extra storage compartment in it's place)
No Furnace (will use heat pumps and / or electic heaters when / if needed)
No Hot water tank (I installed an Ariston GL4 point of use electric hot water)
No Stove (we preferred having extra counter space and use other appliances)
No Couch (we have two La-Z-Boy chairs and a cabinet installed under window)
I just finished installing a LG combo washer/dryer in the Mega Storage compartment.
We've driven about 2,000 miles so far and averaging 11.5 MPG.

[Jon Barnes]

Originally Posted by tjd

We have traveled a little over 3000 miles so far and our over all MPG is 11.2 so far.

I would say the biggest issue we have had so far (knock on wood) is the ice maker stop working within the first week.

We do have exhaust brakes in our 2012 35PBD and they are very useful. Actually I wonder if I use it to much.

Hello,

We downsized from a 2004 Monaco Windsor DST. We purchased a used 2012 32' Vesta - it had about 7500 miles on it. The coach now has 12.4k miles on it. We've had what I consider normal "ramp up" issues with a new coach. I was in Wakarusa a few weeks ago to get some issues addressed - the most significant was a cracked windshield and to replace the slide-out gaskets. Separately the Onan would not hold a load - and Cummins replaced the breaker switch on the Onan.

The coach does have an engine brake - and I feel it's needed when driving a diesel coach - works well.

I don't like the 1200 watt inverter. I rewired a couple of circuits so power was availalble @ the bedroom and dinette outlets. I plan to upgrade to a 2000 watt inverter. Once I had to reset the inverter when we attempted to use the microwave and it was very hot outside. The inverter is mounted on the ceiling of the storage compartment - and the screws are now stripped out @ two of the attachments - so I need to reinforce this area.

I changed out all the interior lights and installed LED lights - and I installed a King Dome in-motion dish - and added an IR extender to the satellite receiver. I run a coax to the front of the coach to a small flat screen so Sat TV can be watched by the passengers when needed.

I also upgraded the GPS to a better Garmin unit & hooked up the Sirus radio. However - the radio sound is terrible - needs better speakers.

I also added a basement 12v/120v refrigerator in the Mega-storage compartment - and a Pressure-Pro system for the tires.

I pulled out the factory mattress and installed the Sleep Number mattress - a nice improvement in our view!

We just returned from a 4k trip out to The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone & Cody - had zero problems except the awning will not extend - and still doesn't!

I travel about 65 MPH and averaged 10.2 MPG. We did hit a lot of headwinds - some mountian passes - but I'm disappointed by the 10.2 MPG. I tow a 2010 Prius on a Demco SS Tow Dolly.

Separately - we run the Onan about 60 hours on this trip - ran great! The roof air conditioners cool the coach well. The Onan usage is not related to the 10.2 MPG.

The dash air is an issue. The system picks up outside air near the engine - so the air is sort of pre-heated by the engine - so using the "vent" setting usually just sends in hot air - must use the "Max Air" setting most of the time - probably impacts the MPG!

Regarding the roof air - there needs to be a couple of roof vents over the driver/passenger seats - the cool air stops short of where we're seated.

While it was not a problem - I was surprised that the engine temperture rose to 213 degrees a few times - outside temperture was 101 degrees. The engine fan kicks in and quickly lowers the engine temperature - no real issue.

I feel the diesel fill opening needs a small angle - it's almost straight out - so it's difficult to get diesel into the tank - you can't leave the filler nozzle alone and clean the windshield for example.

The bathroom sink is too small - challenging to use - water often splashes everywhere!

The engine computer average MPG is goofy - it seems to total your MPG based on the gallon - example: it will say 12 MPG - then when another gallon of fuel is used - the MPG drops to let's say 9 MPG - then it slowly builds to a higher MPG until the next gallon of fuel is used - then the process repeats. However - the total gallons used seems to be fairly accurate when the tank is filled.

I also use a Silver Leaf engine monitor - and it matches the Navistar MPG, but in a more logical way.

I met another couple while @ Wakarusa - and they had installed an additional 30 gallon fresh water tank in the Mega Storage compartment. He plumbed the water line via the anti-freeze line - seemed to work great!

I plan to install a washer/dryer combo in the Mega-storage area as well. Did you add any metal support underneath the compartment floor? Did you add the drain to the waste water tank - or just run the drain to the outside sewer connection? Where did you get the water lines from? If possible - please provide more details on this enhancement.

Overall we like the new coach - of course there's some compromises when compared to the Windsor, but we like the size and it drives like a large SUV - much easier to get into most anywhere. However - in our view the ride is rougher when compared to the Windsor - but this keeps me awake! Maybe I need to adjust the tire air pressure.

I was not certain @ first - but we now like the mid-entry better than the front entry on most diesel coaches - easier to get in and out in our view.

I've owned several motorhoms over the years - and this is the first coach where people stop and tell me how much they like the looks of the unit.

In our view - the Vesta is a nice coach - but a few improvements would make it a great coach!

Jon Barnes
2012 Vesta

[Jon Barnes]

Can you tell me more about the washer/dryer installation?

[JamesJDion]

How I installed the LG Combo Washer / Dryer.

I did not add any metal support under the compartment floor.
I installed a 1/2" sanded plywood floor and vinyl self stick tiles.

I traced the grey water drain from the shower and determined that the grey water tank is located under the bed storage area. I lifted the carpet off of the first step on the passenger side of the bed and cut a 12" square hole in the floor. I used a piece of 2 X 3
as a guide to indent from the side wall, back of the step and front of the step to ensure I wouldn't compromise any supports under the floor. I found the grey water drain pipe / tank and the hot and cold water pipes. I drilled holes into the Mega Storage compartment to route the piping. I also ran electric thru this area / into the Mega Storage compartment. I cut the grey water pipe and installed a rubber Fernco 'Y' fitting.
I connected 1 1/2 PVC to it and routed it into the Mega Storage compartment where
I installed a P-Trap and standpipe.
Then I cut the hot and cold water pipes and connected a Sharkbite 'T' to each and ran 12" PEX piping into the compartment and installed shutoffs to connect the washer hoses.
I had to cut 1/2" off the 1/4" iron trim at the floor level and 3/4" off at the top.
Both strips cut were 26" long from approximately the middle of the door opening towards the hinges. I had to remove the top of the washer and the top control panel to get the washer in. To insert / use the detergent dispenser I had to slice the top off just above the fill drawer. I secured the top to the washer with double stick tape.
To ensure that the washer doesn't move I installed double stacked 2 1/2" 'L' brackets on each side of the front legs and double stacked 2 1/2" straight brackets on each side of the rear legs.

[JamesJDion]

A little more about the install of the LG washer / dryer:
The washer is installed approximately 1" away from the hinges (towards the rear of the coach) when the compartment door is shut.
I also installed what I'll call an anti-tip board to the metal support on the ceiling of the Maga Storage compartment. It's simply a 3/4" x4" square board that is mounted about half way back from the door to prevent the washer from tipping towards the rear of the coach. I installed a cloths rod on it to the rear to hang shirts, etc. on when removed from the washer.

[VestaDave]

Originally Posted by Jon Barnes

Hello,

We downsized from a 2004 Monaco Windsor DST. We purchased a used 2012 32' Vesta - it had about 7500 miles on it. The coach now has 12.4k miles on it. We've had what I consider normal "ramp up" issues with a new coach. I was in Wakarusa a few weeks ago to get some issues addressed - the most significant was a cracked windshield and to replace the slide-out gaskets. Separately the Onan would not hold a load - and Cummins replaced the breaker switch on the Onan.

The coach does have an engine brake - and I feel it's needed when driving a diesel coach - works well.

I don't like the 1200 watt inverter. I rewired a couple of circuits so power was availalble @ the bedroom and dinette outlets. I plan to upgrade to a 2000 watt inverter. Once I had to reset the inverter when we attempted to use the microwave and it was very hot outside. The inverter is mounted on the ceiling of the storage compartment - and the screws are now stripped out @ two of the attachments - so I need to reinforce this area.

I changed out all the interior lights and installed LED lights - and I installed a King Dome in-motion dish - and added an IR extender to the satellite receiver. I run a coax to the front of the coach to a small flat screen so Sat TV can be watched by the passengers when needed.

I also upgraded the GPS to a better Garmin unit & hooked up the Sirus radio. However - the radio sound is terrible - needs better speakers.

I also added a basement 12v/120v refrigerator in the Mega-storage compartment - and a Pressure-Pro system for the tires.

I pulled out the factory mattress and installed the Sleep Number mattress - a nice improvement in our view!

We just returned from a 4k trip out to The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone & Cody - had zero problems except the awning will not extend - and still doesn't!

I travel about 65 MPH and averaged 10.2 MPG. We did hit a lot of headwinds - some mountian passes - but I'm disappointed by the 10.2 MPG. I tow a 2010 Prius on a Demco SS Tow Dolly.

Separately - we run the Onan about 60 hours on this trip - ran great! The roof air conditioners cool the coach well. The Onan usage is not related to the 10.2 MPG.

The dash air is an issue. The system picks up outside air near the engine - so the air is sort of pre-heated by the engine - so using the "vent" setting usually just sends in hot air - must use the "Max Air" setting most of the time - probably impacts the MPG!

Regarding the roof air - there needs to be a couple of roof vents over the driver/passenger seats - the cool air stops short of where we're seated.

While it was not a problem - I was surprised that the engine temperture rose to 213 degrees a few times - outside temperture was 101 degrees. The engine fan kicks in and quickly lowers the engine temperature - no real issue.

I feel the diesel fill opening needs a small angle - it's almost straight out - so it's difficult to get diesel into the tank - you can't leave the filler nozzle alone and clean the windshield for example.

The bathroom sink is too small - challenging to use - water often splashes everywhere!

The engine computer average MPG is goofy - it seems to total your MPG based on the gallon - example: it will say 12 MPG - then when another gallon of fuel is used - the MPG drops to let's say 9 MPG - then it slowly builds to a higher MPG until the next gallon of fuel is used - then the process repeats. However - the total gallons used seems to be fairly accurate when the tank is filled.

I also use a Silver Leaf engine monitor - and it matches the Navistar MPG, but in a more logical way.

I met another couple while @ Wakarusa - and they had installed an additional 30 gallon fresh water tank in the Mega Storage compartment. He plumbed the water line via the anti-freeze line - seemed to work great!

I plan to install a washer/dryer combo in the Mega-storage area as well. Did you add any metal support underneath the compartment floor? Did you add the drain to the waste water tank - or just run the drain to the outside sewer connection? Where did you get the water lines from? If possible - please provide more details on this enhancement.

Overall we like the new coach - of course there's some compromises when compared to the Windsor, but we like the size and it drives like a large SUV - much easier to get into most anywhere. However - in our view the ride is rougher when compared to the Windsor - but this keeps me awake! Maybe I need to adjust the tire air pressure.

I was not certain @ first - but we now like the mid-entry better than the front entry on most diesel coaches - easier to get in and out in our view.

I've owned several motorhoms over the years - and this is the first coach where people stop and tell me how much they like the looks of the unit.

In our view - the Vesta is a nice coach - but a few improvements would make it a great coach!

Jon Barnes
2012 Vesta

Jon, like you we are often approached by people who are attracted by the Vesta's unique appearance. Most folks seem to like it.
Regarding your comment about the fresh air vent ; we found this issue intolerable and spent $400 to have the fresh air re-routed around to the front of the radiator. Since we have had this modification done we really are able to fully enjoy driving this unit. By the way, the dash air now works far more efficiently and we rarely have need to run it at max air.
The stock vent setup just sucks the hot engine air into the cabin which makes a drive very uncomfortable.

[Jon Barnes]

Yeah - you had offered advice on this issue before - but I did not fully understand the situation until I began using the cooach more. Does Monaco offer a retrofit or modification to address this issue? I've looked at the air intake - and I'm trying to decide the best way for me to address it - thanks!

[VestaDave]

Jon, I don't know if Monaco is offering a retrofit for this issue. I will tell you this, do not hesitate to involve Monaco CS with this problem. Take it to your dealer first; they will more than likely say that the fresh air vent is working as designed and there is nothing that they can do under warranty but they may be able to modify the system at your cost. Appeal to Monaco to reconsider the warranty denial.You then will have a decision to make. In my case I elected to go forward with the repair and ask for reimbursement from Monaco.
If you are real handy with tools it may be something you could do yourself. For me, since it was a new vehicle at the time it was important that the repair be documented and justified, so I would not want to tackle this on my own.
My dealer, McMahon's concluded that they themselves would be unable to adequately diagnose the problem or come up with a solution, so they referred it out to what I later learned is the most respected truck repair shop in our area. Boy, am I glad they did. Colton Truck came up with a plan and implemented it within hours. Remember I had been trying to get this dealt with via the International truck dealer for two months prior to them telling me that there was nothing that they could do about it except say take it back to the selling dealer. I was totally underwhelmed by this shop.
This is another story, but I can't help think that if other Navistar dealers are this incompetent it's no wonder that the they are having difficulty in the marketplace.
Bottom line, stick to your guns and get it done; you will be real happy that you did. We owners are Monaco's best ambassadors and the happier we are results in more business for them.

Good luck.

[JamesJDion]

I believe that running the dash air on MAX is more efficient.
Reason: On MAX you are recircullating the air in the coach which has already been cooled. When running the air on NORMAL you are continuously trying to cool down
the outside air that is coming in via the vents. Therefore the higher the outside temperature is the harder the air conditioner has to work to cool it down.

[orpco]

Originally Posted by JamesJDion

I believe that running the dash air on MAX is more efficient.
Reason: On MAX you are recircullating the air in the coach which has already been cooled. When running the air on NORMAL you are continuously trying to cool down
the outside air that is coming in via the vents. Therefore the higher the outside temperature is the harder the air conditioner has to work to cool it down.

James that is my belief also, but here are times it would be nice not to have to run on MaxAir. I came back from Colorado mountains yesterday and I tried running on vent for a while, but even though outside temps were in the 60s the vent temps quickly moved me to push to max air. i am going to pursue this with My dealer and Monaco. Maybe if they hear from enough of us they will get the message. Dave has the fix and apparently it works great so it's really just a matter of Monaco implementing a proven fix and satisfying their customers.