Community Forums

Bill from In · 10-14-2018, 07:18 PM

My wife and I are looking to buy our first motorhome. We have been looking for a year or two at 38-40 foot DP's in the 2004-2006 model years. We have found a Monaco Cayman we want to look at. What are some advantages and disadvantages of owning a 37 footer? We will be using it for short to 3-6 week long vacations.

WinnieView · 10-14-2018, 08:36 PM

When we bought and sold our 40' DP we found them to be one of the most popular in both respects.
However, we also discovered it along with our towed was just a bit too much to fit perfectly into some of our favorite sites so we downsized once again.

Gary RVRoamer · 10-15-2018, 07:19 AM

Are you asking about 37 ft vs 38-40? Obviously not much difference between 37 and 38, but you may notice 37 vs 40. Less living space inside, but easier to fit on those shorter campsites. Not that finding a site for a 40 footer is any big deal, but if you are accustomed to going places with a 30 footer, then either the 37 or the 40 is going to push you towards different sites.

Are you aware that the Caymans and similar models in those years used the Roadmaster R4R& RR4R chassis that had a serious problem with the trailing arm rear suspension? If it hasn't already been fixed, beware of the cost of repair. Read this article to seee if it applies:
https://sourcerv.com/RoadmasterR4R_FMC1109.pdf

MSHappyCampers · 10-15-2018, 09:00 AM

Hi !

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Pay close attention to Gary's advice!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

mike625 · 10-15-2018, 09:32 AM

We never really had a problem with finding a spot for our prior 38 ft or current 45 but we do not really stay at state parks that much - but the 38 did start getting a little cramp when we were out for longer than 2 or 3 weeks if the weather was not great. For long outings like your planning - bigger helps with storage and living while away from the S/B.