Community Forums

JCGibson · 06-09-2018, 04:09 PM

I do agree with the other posters that Entegra gassers are mostly based on Jayco/Thor models, however, Entegra Embelm 36U is a new floor plan altogether (from my research). Close to a Thor Miramar 35.3, but that has a lighter chassis (22k). The Entera comes on a 24K chassis and 252" wheelbase which is good. We had a Tiffin Open Road 36LA which is similar plan and had the same chassis. Given it has a 2 year warranty, I would say it is worth a look since all other manufacturers only have a 1 year warranty.

HWCJr · 06-09-2018, 04:13 PM

Becky and I looked at the one Entegra Emblem that was at the Tampa Super Show this past January. No thanks, we’ll stay with our Canyon Star. Absolutely no comparison with the apparent quality and fit and finish.

JCGibson · 06-09-2018, 04:20 PM

For me it would be a Tiffin or Newmar again. Both are excellent companies with a long track record of outstanding customer service and reputation and to me separates them from everybody else.

Dan McMartin · 06-09-2018, 04:34 PM

We've got a Newmar Bay Star. We looked and just about everything in the price range. Not impressed with many brands and not due to quality. Mostly it was cargo capacity. Most gassers are on chassis that are far to light for the size of the coach. For weekend jaunts to the lake, probably no big deal. But for full timing or lengthy part time use, 2000 lbs before options isn't going to cut it!

We paid a bit more for our Newmar than you might pay for a Thor or Fleetwood but the devil is in the details. You don't think those are important until you have to live in it. Better materials, upgraded amenities, great service, etc. all matter and are worth the extra money. In our research, and we bought just last fall, Newmar, Winnebago and Tiffin are the class of the gas motorhome market. Others, including all the legacy names that are now owned by Thor, REV, Fleetwood, etc., just don't stack up.

We don't call our Bay Star a mini Dutch Star to be cute. 22.5 inch wheels, 4500 lbs of cargo AFTER options on an upgraded chassis, hand made cabinets, full body paint, bus style cargo doors, Corian counter tops, etc., etc., etc.

Entegra isn't Entegra if its just a rebranded Thor, just like Holiday Rambler isn't Holiday Rambler anymore or a Buick is just a Chevy with fancy badges and a stitched leather steering wheel.

BTW, we've seen Jayco Class A's and those "Entegras" and Jaycos. We weren't impressed in the least with what we saw. Lipstick, pigs and all that.

MikeD1 · 06-09-2018, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan McMartin

We've got a Newmar Bay Star. We looked and just about everything in the price range. Not impressed with many brands and not due to quality. Mostly it was cargo capacity. Most gassers are on chassis that are far to light for the size of the coach. For weekend jaunts to the lake, probably no big deal. But for full timing or lengthy part time use, 2000 lbs before options isn't going to cut it!

We paid a bit more for our Newmar than you might pay for a Thor or Fleetwood but the devil is in the details. You don't think those are important until you have to live in it. Better materials, upgraded amenities, great service, etc. all matter and are worth the extra money. In our research, and we bought just last fall, Newmar, Winnebago and Tiffin are the class of the gas motorhome market. Others, including all the legacy names that are now owned by Thor, REV, Fleetwood, etc., just don't stack up.

We don't call our Bay Star a mini Dutch Star to be cute. 22.5 inch wheels, 4500 lbs of cargo AFTER options on an upgraded chassis, hand made cabinets, full body paint, bus style cargo doors, Corian counter tops, etc., etc., etc.

Entegra isn't Entegra if its just a rebranded Thor, just like Holiday Rambler isn't Holiday Rambler anymore or a Buick is just a Chevy with fancy badges and a stitched leather steering wheel.

BTW, we've seen Jayco Class A's and those "Entegras" and Jaycos. We weren't impressed in the least with what we saw. Lipstick, pigs and all that.

Completely agree with this. We love our Baystar as well, and have put about 10K miles and 8 months living in it since purchase a bit over a year ago. It's move like living in a small condo than an RV.

tinagh · 06-10-2018, 09:05 AM

Thanks for all the responses...We are still uncertain of our choice. Finding the floorplan and features we want in our area on Newmar and Tiffin is difficult.

creativepart · 06-10-2018, 09:12 AM

It may be difficult, but for a purchase this big I'd suggest being ready to travel to find the RV that's right for you. Look locally by all means, but then make a few trips to see more RVs not available around you.

Buying something nearby today and then seeing your dream RV sometime later - and you will no doubt - is no fun.

buffgunner · 06-10-2018, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeD1

Completely agree with this. We love our Baystar as well, and have put about 10K miles and 8 months living in it since purchase a bit over a year ago. It's move like living in a small condo than an RV.

Ditto. We have a 2015 Bay Star 3401. The interior fit and finish is much better that anything else we saw. another big issue for us is the slides. Newmar slides are the class of the industry. If I ever get another, it will also be a Newmar.

Dan McMartin · 06-10-2018, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

It may be difficult, but for a purchase this big I'd suggest being ready to travel to find the RV that's right for you. Look locally by all means, but then make a few trips to see more RVs not available around you.

Buying something nearby today and then seeing your dream RV sometime later - and you will no doubt - is no fun.

Agree! There are plenty of Newmar dealers that will do the fly and drive deals. And many owners bought and ordered over the phone and email. We did. Our dealer even delivered our coach 300 miles away for nothing. I'm sure dealers of other brands will deal with you remotely too.

It's worth it to buy the coach you want instead of the coach the local dealer happened to have on his lot. And depending on your local dealer, you might get a much better deal from a dealer in another state or even across the country...so much better than the travel costs might not matter all that much. And with Newmar, you can do a factory pickup so if you're anywhere near Indiana, that's an option too. I believe other brands will do the same thing for you.

Thor29.3inAZ · 06-10-2018, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

As far as RV build quality goes I personally would rank manufacturers in this order of best to worst: Newmar, Tiffin, Entegra (except rebranded Thor models), Winnebago, Fleetwood and Thor.

I would have to agree on your assessment on build quality. But...... this comes at a cost. I for one can not afford the higher end (weather gas or DP) at this point and doubt I would buy a $250K MH in the future. The other factor that I looked at was weight. I live in the rocky mountain area/s and find that some of these coaches can't pull a simple 5% grade. And have a lower towing capacity because they weight a lot. So to each his own and in any case having fun is the name of the game.....

V3600 · 07-14-2018, 04:28 PM

I looked at the Entegra Emblem Class A and liked most of what I saw but the deal killer is the air conditioner is noisy because it isn't a fully ducted unit. I won't have a noisy A/C and most all are. With a fully ducted unit, like in a Tiffin, you can barely hear the unit running.