What makes a quality Motorhome?

[LarryJB]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Congrats!

The Vista 29VE is a beautiful RV...but be sure you can live with that BIG beautiful full wall side retracted for if/when you cannot open it.

Best luck

Is that a common problem? Should I rethink this?

[beenthere]

i dont think so as if a slide is gonna have problems it suerly does not have to be full wall.. heck in fact the only ones you hear about are the bad ones and since its drilled into most minds they always tell..jmo .. now if you get the known bad systems then all bets are off and doesnt matter how big the slide is..

[LarryJB]

Ok, so are Winnies known to have bad slide outs? If not, then who does?

[beenthere]

i dont think it is the builder its what brand moter and system they use at the time and scwin something comes to mind

[Cranemec]

Schwintek slide mechanism is one you need to look out for they say. We had them on our 2015 Coachmen and never had a problem.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by LarryJB

Is that a common problem? Should I rethink this?

Wasn't talking about the slide failing...was offering that there might be part of the RV that becomes very difficult to use with the slide in.

Sometimes the slide simply cannot be open (i.e. while driving, Wallydocking, or on-street stops).

Some folks never even see their RV with the slides in until after purchase, so it is good to check...
The Winnie 29V is REALLY tight between the sofa and kitchen cabinet at the dinette...less width at the passageway than the width of the driver's seat bottom
Just ensure you are OK with that.


Best luck

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Larry-

As long as you're looking at smaller full-slide units, you may want to look at the Monaco Monarch and Holiday Rambler Admiral 30SFS models. Here are links to the brochures for each for the 2008 model year, for instance:

2008 Monaco Monarch brochure
2008 Holiday Rambler Admiral brochure

On the pages to which these links point, click on the "No thanks, I just want to download" buttons to bypass registering.

You may not like the "table for two" design (instead of a dinette), but I can see how that saves weight on the slide and may be practical for couples. Maybe even more comfortable.

Our coach is usable with the forward slide in, but the clearance between the dinette and bathroom wall is tight.

I can't speak to the reliability of the slide mechanisms, as we haven't owned the coach long enough to have any problems with them.

Keep looking at as many coaches as you can. You'll see similarities in floorplans after a while, especially in the shorter coaches; although there are unique floorplans out there, most manufacturers are trying to solve the same problems with the same chassis under the coach, and so come up with similar designs. Then you balance floorplans (that work for you) against build quality and price.

[Gordon Dewald]

Slide in movement vs the extra room when the slide is out is always a concern.

We find it tight but normally put out the slides at any places we stop. Access while travel is tight but everything we reasonably need is accessible. It depends upon what you wish to do while moving. Ball room dancing may be curtailed or not an option.

Since we are parked more than travelling out slides are fine. We are able to get past each other at several locations and the 1/2 bath is fully accessible.

Now if we were travelling with children or large pets there probably would be some issues.

[nothermark]

FWIW the issue for us is whether we can get to the bathroom from the front with the slides in. If we can't we are not interested in the unit. If we can then we can also do lunch or whatever.

[LarryJB]

Originally Posted by nothermark

FWIW the issue for us is whether we can get to the bathroom from the front with the slides in. If we can't we are not interested in the unit. If we can then we can also do lunch or whatever.

This is basically the same criteria we are using. We always have the salesman close all the slide outs and we walk around the coach and envision what it would be like driving down the road.

We are going to see the Vista 29VE tomorrow, and if we like it, we will probably buy it if we can work a deal with them.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by LarryJB

This is basically the same criteria we are using. We always have the salesman close all the slide outs and we walk around the coach and envision what it would be like driving down the road.

We are going to see the Vista 29VE tomorrow, and if we like it, we will probably buy it if we can work a deal with them.

There ya' go Some people don't even think of closing the slide(s) before purchase.

The 29VE seems to have good access to the fridge, bath, and bed with the slide closed...but with the narrow section up front, it will impact you every time you load/unload clothing and groceries if parking at a curbside...nothing that can't be dealt with.

Best luck

[LarryJB]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

There ya' go Some people don't even think of closing the slide(s) before purchase.

The 29VE seems to have good access to the fridge, bath, and bed with the slide closed...but with the narrow section up front, it will impact you every time you load/unload clothing and groceries if parking at a curbside...nothing that can't be dealt with.

Best luck

Ahh You bring up a good point about loading/unloading groceries and supplies. We will certainly check that out. Luckily, we are both relatively thin and small. (5'8" and 5'2") So it may not be as much of an issue as it would be for others. Also, maybe it will be a motivator for us to stay skinny

[Gordon Dewald]

Quality and value are in the eye of the beholder (purchaser/user) only. What works for one person may or may not work for the next. There are too many variables to say one is better or worse than another. There is a positive for every negative.

There have been a number of great issues pointed out that should be considered during the evaluation of any potential purchase. After that it is your decision as none of us will have to drive it or live in it.

[Filmjay2k]

Just wanted to put my two cents in. My wife and I purchased a 2016 Winnebago adventurer 35p about three weeks ago at the Pomona RV show. We are picking it up tomorrow. In terms of making deals, the MSRP on this coach is about $205,000. Because it's the last of the 2016's, their show price was reduced to $149,000. We made an offer of $135,000 and requested that they throw in the DirecTV HD satellite dish as well as swap the batteries for sealed AGM. They made several counter offers but we stuck to our guns and never gave in and we got what we offered.

We decided to buy a Winnebago because in eight years of looking at RVs before we finally pulled the trigger, we heard consistently over and over, that if you want a quality RV you buy a Winnebago. They are not as flashy as some of the others, but they are very tastefully put together and they're built right. It is my understanding that only Winnebago builds their RVs with a full steel nose cap. That in a Winnebago your seat and your seatbelt mount points are anchored and steel, not plywood. Safety is and should be the number one concern. That's why we chose a Winnebago.

Best of luck with your purchase.