Put These In Order Please

[Smitty77]

Originally Posted by mike brez

Going to have to do some digging. I have never seen a Gillig with velvet ride. I know a bunch of Monacos with the velvet ride.

Save your energy Mike:_)!

Could very well be my memory is off on this (Though it would be a shame to tell the DW I did not make it to the second half of the year before making a mistake!).

I thought some years of the Concept had the Gillig with BF Goodrich's suspension system? I one thru two or three of these 8 years ago while shopping. But, I also went thru some now becoming classic Foretravel's back then - and those had the BF Goodrich suspensions as I recall - may have blurred the lines on the two coaches!

Best,
Smitty
(Sorry OP for the sidetracking of the thread...)

[The Renegade]

Originally Posted by Vanslam

It took me two years of research, reading, talking to owners, visiting dealers and going to RV shows to develop this exhaustive ranking list: Newmar - enough said. LOL

My gosh that means I have another 22 months of this frustration. LOL . I am learning from you guys and thanks for the replies.

[The Renegade]

Originally Posted by Smitty77

Save your energy Mike:_)!

Could very well be my memory is off on this (Though it would be a shame to tell the DW I did not make it to the second half of the year before making a mistake!).

I thought some years of the Concept had the Gillig with BF Goodrich's suspension system? I one thru two or three of these 8 years ago while shopping. But, I also went thru some now becoming classic Foretravel's back then - and those had the BF Goodrich suspensions as I recall - may have blurred the lines on the two coaches!

Best,
Smitty
(Sorry OP for the sidetracking of the thread...)

LOL Smitty... Its my thread and I welcome your posts my friend. We can venture off track ever now and then.. Shoot Im enjoying the learning on all of it..

[harleyjt]

Originally Posted by Vanslam

It took me two years of research, reading, talking to owners, visiting dealers and going to RV shows to develop this exhaustive ranking list: Newmar - enough said. LOL

That"s pretty much where I'm at. I like the Newmar hung wall construction. Tiffin also seems to be a well built coach, though I think just a tick or two below Newmar. I also like the fact that these are the two survivors. They've not changed hands, so service has been uninterrupted. It seems like I just read the other day where Monaco has just quit providing technical assistance on the older Monacos. I guess I really can't blame them as there is complete new ownership - REV group. But, with Newmar and Tiffin, you still get complete support. People and information hasn't been lost or discarded with changes in ownership.

Quote: Newmar (used Newmar coaches can be expensive so I lower the ranking),

I find that statement interesting. I think it simply illustrates that Newmar coaches tend to hold their value better than others, probably because of their higher build quality. I certainly wouldn't rank them lower because a used one is higher priced. Quite the opposite! I'm very satisfied and pleased with my 12 year old Newmar. Just my .02 worth.
jt

[Geaux Tigers]

I would like to comment on your Class A vs Class C decision. We went through a similar tussel with the wife leaning towards the C and I was leaning towards the A. My wife's uncle who has owned both types made some good points about how they drive and ride. He told us with the C you always have to remember that your back part of the vehicle sticks out about 1 foot on each side. On the A, if the front bumper fits through a tight spot, the rest will also fit. As far as length goes, the driving adjustments needed are about the same whether you get an A or C.
We finally decided on a Class A. As far as my personal experience, I can add that I can easily drive 600+ miles in a day in our MH if I have to and not feel cramped or exhausted. That was not the case when we used to own an Econoline van. I think the Class C would be closer to the Econoline van.
------- Jim

[bamaspiveys]

OP - I agree with your analysis of the Toyota-Chevy-Ford and that the King Ranch and the base F150 have the same engine, tranny, frame, fenders and bed.

Even though you don't want some of the "king ranch" features in your RV, I think you will find that you will need to go to some of the higher end builders that will have those features to get the quality and reliability you are looking for in the RV.

How many of the RVs on your list have you been in and walked around?
How many have you driven?

I have no idea how many airbags my Entegra has but I can tell you it rides better than any RV I have ever been in. We focused on floor plans that we liked and drove 10 to 12 RVs over a 8 month period: Coachmen, Beaver, Tiffin, Monaco, etc. (tag, non tag, even a few gas burners)

I knew we were taking the Entegra home before I got to the first Interstate exit on the test drive. You can learn a lot here but the real test is on the road and in the RVs

Good Luck

[Isaac-1]

Just a note here on older higher end coaches, many of the higher end features are more durable than their entry level equivalents. Full body paint tends to hold up much better than vinyl graphics, Corian counter tops hold up better than laminate, the same is true of fiberglass or Aluminum roofs vs rubber, real wood cabinet work holds up better than particle board, .....

[Boyd R]

Originally Posted by bamaspiveys

OP - I agree with your analysis of the Toyota-Chevy-Ford and that the King Ranch and the base F150 have the same engine, tranny, frame, fenders and bed.

Even though you don't want some of the "king ranch" features in your RV, I think you will find that you will need to go to some of the higher end builders that will have those features to get the quality and reliability you are looking for in the RV.

How many of the RVs on your list have you been in and walked around?
How many have you driven?

I have no idea how many airbags my Entegra has but I can tell you it rides better than any RV I have ever been in. We focused on floor plans that we liked and drove 10 to 12 RVs over a 8 month period: Coachmen, Beaver, Tiffin, Monaco, etc. (tag, non tag, even a few gas burners)

I knew we were taking the Entegra home before I got to the first Interstate exit on the test drive. You can learn a lot here but the real test is on the road and in the RVs

Good Luck

I agree 100% on the ride, handle and quietness of the Entegra. I came out of a 2009 tiffin Allegro bus (43 ft), and it is a night and day difference .
When I drive on a windy day, as I am in passing lane going by some motorhomes with the drivers hanging on all white knuckled, and getting blown all over the road, it makes me like it even more.

Have a good friend who came out of a 2013 Allegro Bus into a 2016 Anthem who will tell you the same thing.

Point being, Bama is correct, you need to test drive some coaches to see if they handle the same way you think they will.

[The Renegade]

Originally Posted by bamaspiveys

OP - I agree with your analysis of the Toyota-Chevy-Ford and that the King Ranch and the base F150 have the same engine, tranny, frame, fenders and bed.

Even though you don't want some of the "king ranch" features in your RV, I think you will find that you will need to go to some of the higher end builders that will have those features to get the quality and reliability you are looking for in the RV.

How many of the RVs on your list have you been in and walked around?
How many have you driven?

I have no idea how many airbags my Entegra has but I can tell you it rides better than any RV I have ever been in. We focused on floor plans that we liked and drove 10 to 12 RVs over a 8 month period: Coachmen, Beaver, Tiffin, Monaco, etc. (tag, non tag, even a few gas burners)

I knew we were taking the Entegra home before I got to the first Interstate exit on the test drive. You can learn a lot here but the real test is on the road and in the RVs

Good Luck

Yes sir after further research and listening to you guys I am starting to understand. With the bling on the inside of the coach, comes more bling in the suspension and chassis which is even more important. I was showing the wife last night a coach on RVtrader that was an American Coach I think and was an 03 model. It was nicer than anything we have looked at. Better engine, chassis, and yes more bling which was really nice I must say. See there is hope for me yet...

[mike brez]

Just get this one and call it a day
1998 Newell Coach Newell 45' Priced at $ 129500

[Wbonsell]

Originally Posted by becks

Monoco, Newmar, Country Coach, Travel Supreme, and American Coach. All high end builders.

Would definitely put Foretravel in that group. Maybe at the top.

[bamaspiveys]

keep us posted, others will have similar questions and will be able to learn from your research and opinions. Let us know what you drive, what you think, and of course what you buy.


Good Luck

[The Renegade]

Originally Posted by bamaspiveys

keep us posted, others will have similar questions and will be able to learn from your research and opinions. Let us know what you drive, what you think, and of course what you buy.


Good Luck

Will do Bama. I will probably look back at this thread some day and won't believe all the stupid questions I asked you guys.. Also I seen you live in Murfreesboro... I used to spend a lot of time in Shelbyville. I was in the horse business for about 25 years..

[The Renegade]

I was reading today about class a motorhomes handling and poor handling and the article was saying that a 4 bag airs system and an 8 bag air system was not based on quality of the motorhome but was based on the weight. Is this the case?If that is right than what makes some handle better than others that are comparable size and weight?I was on a manufactures website today looking at different models and the chassis was mentioned but that was it. # of bags not anywhere on the site?