Updated Monaco & HR web sites

[SRT]

Just got an e-mail this morning about the updated web sites. Just for grins checked the HR Vacationer. 36' is the only length available at this time and the price is towards $300,000. Geeze, the price tag on my MY2000 was about $82,000. My Vacationer is being prepared for sale as my lung condition (IPF) has restricted my driving among other things such as much exercising.

[Long Island Mac]

checked the site also. Looks like the 2015 Ambassador is two steps back from our 2013 40' DFT.

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by SRT

Just got an e-mail this morning about the updated web sites. Just for grins checked the HR Vacationer. 36' is the only length available at this time and the price is towards $300,000. Geeze, the price tag on my MY2000 was about $82,000. My Vacationer is being prepared for sale as my lung condition (IPF) has restricted my driving among other things such as much exercising.

I just went to MHSRV.com says the msrp is 147,000 on say for 109,000

[Gary.Jones]

I am not positive, but the announcement for the new Monaco website also announced the production plans for the 2015 Dynasty. I took a quick look, and if they actually are producing that particular coach, then it appears that they have incorporated virtually none of the suggestions that they got from feedback from both DWs and owners that were at the Monaco International rally over in Albany, GA. The silly huge desk chair is still pictured, as well as the coffee pot "elevator" in the kitchen as well as the circular table in the dinette area, as well as the highly grouted shower which the DWs were clear was a pain to keep clean, as well as a design that made simple walking from front of the coach to the back of the coach or the mid-lavatory very difficult and cumbersome, etc. etc. etc. I wonder if they are simply making more of the same coaches that they showed at Perry and Albany....?

Disappointing....

Gary

[Drifter]

The newly updated Web sites and the long silence between press releases may show in some way that the plug may have been pulled. I hope not., but if this is there plan I'm sorry for them.

[Papa_Jim]

One mistake we have made is not to have a funeral service for the good old Monaco Dynasty motor coach. You know, built on the good old S-series Roadmaster chassis, with the semi-monocoque steel frame construction. It's dead, dead as the proverbial do-do bird. It's a tough nut for us older guys to swallow, but the Monaco Dynasty is dead.

Unfortunately, to add to the sorrow and the confusion, the name Monaco Dynasty continues. It continues as a marketing game name. A name bought by a large corporate, with the intent to use the name as a way to provide a competitive alternative.

So. You can choose to look at a product from American Coach. You can choose to look at a product from Fleetwood. You can choose to look at a product from Monaco. Unfortunately, they are all the same coach.

Also, unfortunately, they are not the coach that I would choose to make my home. I want the S-Series Roadmaster chassis with the semi-monocoque steel frame construction.

I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with this for the average uninformed consumer. It's just that for those of us that are looking into the haze, hoping to see a glimpse of our beloved Monaco Dynasty, those days are done.

Hopefully, but doubtfully, funeral services will be announced.

Jim

[moisheh]

One has to wonder if they had a real business plan? Did they look at the competition? Did they really think customers would buy that Dynasty? How much money have they wasted on this project? The folks at Entegra must be laughing. What a shame. The New Dynasty is really just an overpriced Discovery.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by Papa_Jim

One mistake we have made is not to have a funeral service for the good old Monaco Dynasty motor coach. You know, built on the good old S-series Roadmaster chassis, with the semi-monocoque steel frame construction. It's dead, dead as the proverbial do-do bird. It's a tough nut for us older guys to swallow, but the Monaco Dynasty is dead.



Unfortunately, to add to the sorrow and the confusion, the name Monaco Dynasty continues. It continues as a marketing game name. A name bought by a large corporate, with the intent to use the name as a way to provide a competitive alternative.



So. You can choose to look at a product from American Coach. You can choose to look at a product from Fleetwood. You can choose to look at a product from Monaco. Unfortunately, they are all the same coach.



Also, unfortunately, they are not the coach that I would choose to make my home. I want the S-Series Roadmaster chassis with the semi-monocoque steel frame construction.



I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with this for the average uninformed consumer. It's just that for those of us that are looking into the haze, hoping to see a glimpse of our beloved Monaco Dynasty, those days are done.



Hopefully, but doubtfully, funeral services will be announced.



Jim

I have to respectfully disagree. Don't get me wrong, I love my S Series chassis beyond measure but I know her short comings. The basic design was by Chrysler in the mid 80s. She's very rigid and handles well. Never adopted IFS and stuck at 50 degree cut angle while the others are at 55-60. The thing that killed it was cost of production. Also the engine manufacturers marketing policy would not sell engines to a wholly owned chassis builder at a competitive price to the stand alone chassis builders.

I have listened to several Monaco owners who test drove the new Dynasty last winter and they all had high praise for the ride and handling. The house they are building may not be our "cup of tea" but they had input from a lot wider slice of the market than us "old fart" Monaco owners.

I don't believe that the Monaco/HR lines are now just a model of American or Fleetwood. They have spent more money than they had to in order to keep separate engineers and design teams. They did not just build them on an American or Fleetwood chassis but specifically set out to design a chassis to have a more Roadmaster like feel.

Very few things are forever. I love my Monaco/Roadmaster but it's not being built, something else is. Frankly my '03 Sig didn't have much more in common with the Sigs being built in '08 than with these new Monaco's.

I'm glad Monaco is still in business and I wish them well. They still take my calls at tech support and parts and they still will help me troubleshoot. That puts us way ahead of the CC owners or Alpine! Both of which were and are fine coaches.

AVS seems to be giving them time to bring coaches into production as development is complete. That's much better than the alternative.


Steve Ownby
Full time since '07

[Papa_Jim]

Steve,

Good thoughts.

This reminds me of the many comments when the front wheel drive cars were first being introduced.



Jim

[moisheh]

No it reminds me of GM when they brought out all large cars on the same platform. A Caddy was the same as the Chev other than the price. The Dynasty is just another Fleetwood with nice cabinetry. Others have stated that when they saw the FW chassis and the Dynasty they were identical.I note that they come with the same cheap OEM Sachs shocks. If you have ever owned a Freightliner chassis you would know that those shocks are next to useless. So much for a specially tuned chassis. If I am wrong about the chassis I would like to know the specific differences. Are the air bags a different size? Are they placed at a different location? Is there some special type of valving in the air bag circuit that might offer a different ride? As for the comments on all the engineers working on this unit. FW does not employ the 80 designers and engineers that was stated in the literature. Even FL would not have 80 engineers in the Custom Chassis division. That chassis is an excellent design but it is not a high end chassis. I was at the FMCA show in Mpls. when it was introduced in 08. Very impressive as compared to the ordinary FL unit used by most mfrs. It had the most storage of any MH on the market. But other than the name the Dynasty chassis is no different than what is used in the American line. There will be some some differences to accommodate different floor plans. I am glad that FW is still offering support for Legacy Monacos.

[plasma800]

I'm sure it's just fleetwood getting ready to gear up. It's probably taking them quite some time to take over operations.

[go6car]

Interesting on the new Ambassador. Looks like they are targeting the ever-growing entry-level diesel market with it. I haven't seen anything else (new) with a mid-entry door! Hope that catches on! I have it now in my gas rig and really like it.