Community Forums

Bubba1 · 01-29-2008, 01:11 PM

Hello everyone, I just joined and new to this forum. I currently own an 03 Cayman. Looking at upgrading to a Knight DFT. I was wondering if there were any problems with the full wall slide? I did a search and saw where there was an earlier dicussion on the Diplomat SFT. Would it be safe to assume the slides are similar?

Bubba1 · 01-29-2008, 01:11 PM

Hello everyone, I just joined and new to this forum. I currently own an 03 Cayman. Looking at upgrading to a Knight DFT. I was wondering if there were any problems with the full wall slide? I did a search and saw where there was an earlier dicussion on the Diplomat SFT. Would it be safe to assume the slides are similar?

Robin_M · 01-29-2008, 03:30 PM

Hi Bubba,

Welcome to the iRV2 Monaco Owners Forum. Glad you're here.

The Knight DFT floorplan looks very nice. The large rear bathroom and the extra half bath should be a very nice arrangement.

We bought the Dip SFT with the full wall slide last year, which was the first model year they were available. I have to admit I had a few trepidations about that, but so far, it's been relatively trouble free. It's extremely heavy, so we try never to park with the road side low, since that would mean that the slide would have to fight against gravity when it retracts. It's hydraulic, while the smaller two slides are electric. (Don't know if that's the case on the Knight.)

The only time we've really had trouble with it, we had only ourselves to blame. I opened it one day while there was freezing rain outside, and the top slide awning got covered with frozen slush. It only took that one time for me to learn NEVER to do that again.

The SFT side goes from just behind the driver's seat, all the way back to the washer/dryer at the rear of the coach. The Knight slide will be about 5 or 6 feet shorter without the large second closet in it. That means it will be a good bit lighter as well. I'd guess it shouldn't be much of a problem - especially if it works with a hydraulic mechanism, like the one on the Dip.

MonacoMama · 01-29-2008, 03:31 PM

Bubba1....
First of all... Welcome to iRV2!!!

We would also consider it a pleasure if we could ad some "Monaco Karma" to you log-in name.

As far as a full wall slide... there are a few of us who have the SFT model... and I can tell you that I love the floorplan and what it does for the living space. I am sure the DFT would work the same as the SFT slide...Robin-M may come by soon and ad his comments also. He does have a website up with lots of info... so look around for something of his.
Again...welcome to iRV2 & the Monaco forum! Please visit often and ask away...we will try to help you out... abd by the way... I am just the "silly person" here

...more just to make everyone chuckle and enjoy being here...while getting the other answers!

MM

PS... how about that Karma??Just say .... "pretty please Mama"

MonacoMama · 01-29-2008, 03:52 PM

(OK...if I would NOT have told you how silly I was....then
I would have posted before Robin_M!)

dwhee · 01-29-2008, 04:00 PM

Hi Bubba, We have a 2006 Knight DFD (same as a DFT only without the additional salon/kitchen slide) and have had no problems with the full wall slide. The layout works very well for us, but the additional slide would be the berries!!
Peace,

Dan

AKBrick · 01-30-2008, 05:07 AM

Hi Bubba,
We have a Safari Cheetah made by Monoco which is very similar or the same depending on how many slides there are. We love our full-wall slide and it gives us a central wall that separates the bathroom from the central hallway. The slide has the diningroom tabel, four door fridge and a full wardrobe closet. It also had a couch which we had taken out and got a Euro chair which added more room for our dog crates.
We've had no troubles with the hydraulic slide which happens to be on the roadside. It does make a bit of noise when you put it in and out but you get used to that.
The Knight is a nice coach IMHO.
Good luck,

AKBrick

Bubba1 · 01-30-2008, 12:14 PM

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. Okay, "pretty please momma" for what ever you Monaco Karma you deam necesarry.

Dan, I really prefer the DFD floor plan, that's what got us think about a new coach in the first place. But since it's no longer available and the left over coaches we found didn't have the colors or options we wanted. I agree having more sapce in the living area is great, but I send a lot of time sitting outside the coach. Plus I don't like the idea of having to reach under the slide to get things out of storage.

AKBrick, we looked at the Cheetah also. Really liked it, but once again we couldn't get some of the options we wanted. Of course this year we can't get some of the options we want on the Knight either. So I guess it will be a trade off. Wife really like the new Tommy Bahama Red paint on the new Knight. And now that she has okayed the purchase, I guess I need to "strike while the iron is hot."

Again, thanks everyone.

gypsies · 01-30-2008, 12:18 PM

So far, so good with the full wall slide. But.... only 4500 miles so far. Love the floor plan. It really works well for us.

GW

Robin_M · 01-30-2008, 02:57 PM

GW,

You've got 4500 miles on an '08 coach. Wow, you've been doing some travelling.

I know what you mean by the floorplan really works for you. Once we saw the SFT, we were sold. It was extremely hard not to jump up and down in front of the salesman.

Lukeaa · 01-30-2008, 05:46 PM

We just pulled into Quartzsite and pointed the nose of the SFT into the West and watched the sunset through the Panaview windshield. Life is good and we love our SFT.

We have a few flexing problems; the bathroom doors don't close some times. But otherwise, this is the best floorplan we have ever had.

MonacoMama · 01-30-2008, 08:03 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">"pretty please momma" </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Bubba1 - you have been Karma-ized!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">. And now that she has okayed the purchase, I guess I need to "strike while the iron is hot." </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Have you made that all important deal-making phone call yet!!? You better not waste time... you know how we can change our minds!

Ok...we will all be waiting for photos of the "Tommy Bahama Red" Good Luck and Congrats...cuz I know you will make the deal!

MM

Sixpack98 · 01-31-2008, 01:12 PM

More than a little worried about taking my wife to the Dallas RV show the end of Feb. When we were looking a couple of years ago the full wall slide did not exist. The side hallway did exist on some coaches but neither of us were very excited about the manufacturer. She saw the SFT in in some magazine and wants to see the Diplomat and Endeavor models. I've put 2 years into making the current coach right - warranty work and adding gizmos - and shutter to think of doing it all over again. I may have to put my foot down and let her know who is the boss - her. The full wall slide on the Monacos was really well thought out and well executed.

mom2mastiffs · 01-31-2008, 03:22 PM

Bubba,

WE also looked at the full slide model and decided against it. While we really liked the space when it was parked and open it was not going to work traveling with 4 mastiffs! They are not crated so they sometimes go back to the bed to sleep or have the wind on their faces from the partially open windows.