Community Forums

philjp1 · 12-28-2021, 10:23 AM

Hello everyone, been looking at some coachmen Mirada floor plans and like a few of them.
Hoping to get some opinions on their motorhomes. Thanks in advance

Charles L · 12-28-2021, 10:38 AM

They are all built the same. Pick your brand, spend a year or two fixing issues, then try and enjoy it. Someone that owns one will reply soon. What model and years are you looking at?

philjp1 · 12-29-2021, 07:02 AM

Various models and years.

jhlady · 12-29-2021, 09:08 AM

I have a 2014 Coachman Mirada model 29DSSE which is built on a 2013 Ford F53 chassis. Like it overall, but have had to do a lot of little things to make it smoother, quieter, and enjoyable. If you are handy, have the time and space to work a motorhome, I feel that Coachman is as good as any of the others, but like has been said already, the all require effort to make them your own and to keep them on the road. If I had to rely on a shop to keep it on the road I would be broke and probably wouldn't have had use of it many times due to delays at the shops etc. Ours only had like 2500 miles on it when we bought it in 2016 and now has like 32,000.

Hope this helps.

CC38EL · 12-29-2021, 10:22 PM

We have a 2019 Mirada Select 37LS and love it. We're the third owners and didn't have much to fix as I assume the previous owners took care of those things. As mentioned, if you're handy, its beneficial because the new ones are coming off the line with 10 to 30 punch list items that will need to be addressed. Most you could do by yourself.....others like slide or engine issues need a trip to a dealer.

Coachmen is above average in terms of quality and level of amenities. But that isn't saying much nowadays. The horror stories of new coaches needing repair at time of delivery are many.

The new Ford F 53 chassis with the V8 had a major recall right out the door. Other than that, it's improved over the older F53 3 valve V10. Chassis suspension has been improved but it's still not an air ride. We did about $700 worth of suspension upgrades to get our V10 version to ride and drive better. But that will be a personal feeling that you'll decide for yourself.

All in all, ours is good to us and has all the bells and whistles that we could want.

Teamfoxy · 12-30-2021, 06:17 AM

We have a 2011 Mirada 32DS and have been very happy with it and most Mirada owners that I have met have been happy with theirs. We are full time in ours and know people with just about every brand. Many have some issues to resolve that are much more serious than any we have had.
Coachmen (in 2006) was the first maker to use Azdel composite in the outer walls. Today, nearly all makers use it. Before Azdel, most outer skins were filon glued to thin plywood with only 2 plys. When leaks occur, the layers of plywood delaminate and you get blisters or ripples in the surface. Where wiring and plumbing pass through walls, there is foam to keep the wires and tubes from chafing. Cabinets are not the most expensive kind, but they stay together and don't make noises down the road.

dizcom · 12-30-2021, 06:37 AM

Our last coach was a Mirada. We really liked it. Cant say as the Coachman brand is much different from any other in terms of what will go wrong. We added a few things here and there and replaced a few things with better things, but we do that with all of our rigs. One thing that made it really nice was adding sound insulation to the dash, doghouse and wheel wells. Wasn't DP quiet, but it made a huge difference. Things that broke weren't something that Coachman caused through lack of quality. Coachman instituted a new QA process that you can see on their website. New coaches are checked more thoroughly than in the past, resulting in fewer problems.

Carol3557 · 02-05-2022, 02:11 PM

I have a 2019 Coachman Mirada and it has been fairly satisfactory. The Heater needed repair and the hot water hear on propane went out and I have a persistent leak in the kitchen sink area that becomes apparent when bringing in the slide. Thankfully, I have a RV repair guy that's awesome. The service center that they refer me to was hopeless

TheCatsRV · 02-06-2022, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

Coachmen (in 2006) was the first maker to use Azdel composite in the outer walls.

So Azdel is used in all Coachmens since '06? Good to know as I have an '07 Mirada 300QB in a very damp and rainy climate (the rig is under tarp but still...).

BransonM · 02-06-2022, 06:16 PM

34 BH 2010 model here. The ford chassis is the same through the manufactures so excluding that. I would say it is an entry level class A. But it is far better than any travel trailer or ultra lite you may find. I have seen that the newer models have a solid surface counter top I would much prefer that as mine will need replaced soon. But other than that it does everything I ask of it. With any rv you will need to be handy or find a good private shop if you want to actually use it. Overall I am happy with it.

Teamfoxy · 02-07-2022, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCatsRV

So Azdel is used in all Coachmens since '06? Good to know as I have an '07 Mirada 300QB in a very damp and rainy climate (the rig is under tarp but still...).

They started using Azdel in 2006, but not nessessarily across all product lines. Motorhomes were first. Azdel often has a very slight post cure texture, easier to notice with high gloss paint jobs.

TheCatsRV · 02-07-2022, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamfoxy

They started using Azdel in 2006, but not nessessarily across all product lines. Motorhomes were first. Azdel often has a very slight post cure texture, easier to notice with high gloss paint jobs.

Thanks. How can one tell? Is the texture slightly textured like a golf ball?

Teamfoxy · 02-08-2022, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCatsRV

Thanks. How can one tell? Is the texture slightly textured like a golf ball?

Much more subtle than that. If you don't have shiny full body paint you might not even see it. I would remove a marker light or similar from the side of the coach and look carefully at the outer skin where the wire passes through. Before Azdel, they used thin filon sheet over 1/16" two layer plywood. Azdel has no plywood between it and the foam insulation.
When you see delamination blisters in older coaches, it is the layers of plywood separating due to swelling from moisture. Usually in an older Coachmen you would first see it around the vent panel for the Dometic fridge. Dometic has a hose that must be lead out through the vent. If it is left inside the water runs down the wall and delaminates the plywood.