Purchasing a new Athem

[Slice]

Good day to all, Right now I have a 40 ft DP SOB.. we like it but time to upgrade. we are working towards retirement a few years away and we believe the 2018 Anthem 44b is the best choice for us..

Question is : What to look out for when buying New, what would you have asked for ? what would you do different ? what to ask for and get ?

thanks...

[Selah]

I don't know what is standard on the Anthem but make sure you get heated floors. They are the best thing ever!
Cabling for a tripod connection. Heard not standard on some coaches.
Gravity fill for fresh water. You will want that if you ever go to a place like Quartszite AZ. Again, not standard on some coaches.
Fireplace. Awsome for knocking down the morning chill in cool weather.
No front TV over windshield. Get storage instead. (My opinion)
You might also consider upgrading the induction cooktop to a Wolf.

[Matt D]

Originally Posted by Selah

I don't know what is standard on the Anthem but make sure you get heated floors. They are the best thing ever! From at least the Aspire up, the floors are heated using the AH, unlike the electric floors in SOB.
Cabling for a tripod connection. Heard not standard on some coaches. Standard on EC, located in Electric/AH bay
Gravity fill for fresh water. You will want that if you ever go to a place like Quartszite AZ. Again, not standard on some coaches. Standard with EC, located on side opposite to wet bay
Fireplace. Awsome for knocking down the morning chill in cool weather. The fireplace is available in many floor plans
No front TV over windshield. Get storage instead. (My opinion)As a rule, Entegra does zero customization. It is unlikely this can be deleted. Additionally, there are video components behind the TV. Covering them with a cabinet would complicate production.
You might also consider upgrading the induction cooktop to a Wolf.The factory won't do custom work. You can possibly have them delete the stock Furrion (POS) Induction cooktop. This is desirable because the Wolf is physically smaller. Covering the resultant gap would be problematic, unless you can convince Entegra to leave the counter uncut. Wiring up the Wolf takes some expertise, but is possible.

Slice, my best suggestion is not to buy new.

Yes, I said it.

These coaches are great, once they're sorted out. Until then, they are pretty much a constant headache.

I've bought a new Tiffin, and a new Entegra. Never again.

I'll let someone else deal with the teething pains and the depreciation hit, then we will take the reins.

Just my considered opinion.

-Matt

[Gary.Jones]

Slice: get an entire weekend totally free...... roll up your sleeves with your iPad or desk computer, and start reading back through all the threads on here. There are answers to every question/issue you could have and incredibly smart and knowledgeable replies to each of those questions. Put in the time and it's all here, but there are no shortcuts...... And the search functions still suck so do it one thread at a time.

Gary

[Ann n Gene]

The great news, hardly any options on an Entegra, all the "upgrades" are standard equipment. The bad news, Entegra does not do options or changes, if you want custom you will have to get it done after delivery. Bottom line, great coach and the most bang for the buck in the industry.

[Butte64]

Matt, are you sure the cable connection in the electric will work with tripods? How does it connect to satellite receiver? Will it pass power to satellite antennas like the Pathway that get power thru the coax? My Phaeton had separate connections for cable and satellite. The satellite connector went directly to satellite receiver. There is a connector by outside TV that says SAT FOLD DOWN DISH TO SAT RCVR but I'm unsure of its wiring.

[Victory Blue]

The "B" is a great floor plan, and the most popular floor plan Entegra sells.

Unlike some I would only buy new. It is somewhat the luck of the draw, but our coach has been pretty much problem free. I don't want someone else's smells, poorly done mods and, perhaps, questionable maintenance.

If you decide to buy used don't buy anything older than a 2017 so you get the Vegatouch system (Anthems and Cornerstones). Although some may disagree, a system like the Vegatouch is the future of control in the high-end RV world and makes using the coach systems much easier.

Even if you could have it removed you want the TV above the dash so you can see your GPS nav screen as you're driving. We use Copilot (on an iPad Pro), mirrored to the front TV through an Apple TV, so it's not just the driver who can make nav changes or zoom in and out on the map.

For the rear camera ask Entegra to install the Total Vision System that's in the Cornerstone. They did it for us because we asked and it's a great system and much better than the standard camera system in the Anthem.

There aren't many options but you'll want the Traveller satellite dish (unless you're not a TV watcher) and the outside refrigerator/freezer.

I agree with Gary: Spend a lot of time going back through old threads on this forum. You'll learn a lot and be much more comfortable with your choices.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Desertboyz]

View Post
I don't know what is standard on the Anthem but make sure you get heated floors. They are the best thing ever! From at least the Aspire up, the floors are heated using the AH, unlike the electric floors in SOB

I think liquid heated floors are both a positive and negative depending on viewpoint. I personally prefer electric - fast and responsive rather than having to wait hours while AH slowly heats floors.

[DebbieMH]

What would I do differently? Nothing .... yes, I bought new and would so again. Yes, I had all the issues most have had ... and maybe a bit more. But, I would buy an Entegra again, customer service is outstanding. Make sure you spend some major time in it the first year. That way you can get all the issues worked out and start to really enjoy it the second year. Anyway ... my opinion, only!

[Butte64]

Originally Posted by Butte64

Matt, are you sure the cable connection in the electric will work with tripods? How does it connect to satellite receiver? Will it pass power to satellite antennas like the Pathway that get power thru the coax? My Phaeton had separate connections for cable and satellite. The satellite connector went directly to satellite receiver. There is a connector by outside TV that says SAT FOLD DOWN DISH TO SAT RCVR but I'm unsure of its wiring.

I'm at an Entegra rally and just confirmed the cable connection in the electric bay will not work with tripod. An external SAT antenna would need to be connected to the SWM splitter in storage bay.

[Slice]

thanks to everyone.. i have been looking over the forum for sometime.. good to know the rear camera can be upgraded. keep em coming.

[Victory Blue]

Originally Posted by Slice

thanks to everyone.. i have been looking over the forum for sometime.. good to know the rear camera can be upgraded. keep em coming.

It's not a standard option or upgrade. Ask when you order - they may say no.

[buddy110]

Solar panels are a good option. After you reach your bottom price ask them to throw them in as well as a toad set up, a wholesale value of about 3,500. Shop around and do not buy a left over. Often times they have been driven back and forth to show and are usually beat to sh...If you are buying new, order the coach with the colors you want and take delivery at the factory.

My .02

[waterboy10]

We have bought 2 new ones and problems have been minimal. Would do a 3rd. Customer service has been great.