Why buy an Entegra?

[myfitrip]

This is my first post on this forum after reading for several weeks and I have a question for the Entegra owners who seem to be loyal to the brand and enjoy their motor coaches.

Background: I have done a lot of research and really like the Entegra Anthem coach and am planning to purchase one in the near future. But I have to say that the number of issues that these vehicles have right out of the factory is a concern. I have learned through reading this forum that the right dealer makes a big difference but still it seems that many of you spend a lot of time in the shop or a lot of your own time keeping your coach in shape.

Can anyone offer comments or thoughts on why by an Entegra?

Thanks

MyFitrip

[Gary.Jones]

You can buy a 2.5 million dollar Prevost conversion motorcoach and have it spend much of its first years in repair facilities and there are three or four service centers scattered around the country. .... it has little to do with cost. It has a lot to do with "chance". I have bought new direct from the factory twice: a 2015 Anthem and a2019 Cornerstone.

Here are the issues:

1.) Most new coaches have problems. You eventually solve them, but they are annoying. All coaches have continuing sporadic problems.... these are complex beasts that roll down highways.

2.) NIRVC has essentially a bumper to bumper warranty (2 years from Entegra, 3 years from Spartan, and 5 years from Cummins).

3.) there are nice, honest people at Entegra

4.) You get a lot of coach for the money compared to other brands.

AND, welcome to the forum, and your first post

Gary

[Prairie Dog]

Slight correction to 2)- if you are first or second owner, you get that warranty no matter who you buy from.

[Gary.Jones]

Bill

I didn't mean to imply that any of the warranty was only from NIRVC..... sorry if it sounded that way. The warranties are from Entegra, Spartan, and Cummins.

Not sure how it happens, but sometimes my fingers type something other than what my brain is thinking......

Gary

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

You can buy a 2.5 million dollar Prevost conversion motorcoach and have it spend much of its first years in repair facilities and there are three or four service centers scattered around the country. .... it has little to do with cost. It has a lot to do with "chance". I have bought new direct from the factory twice: a 2015 Anthem and a2019 Cornerstone.

Here are the issues:

1.) Most new coaches have problems. You eventually solve them, but they are annoying. All coaches have continuing sporadic problems.... these are complex beasts that roll down highways.

2.) NIRVC has essentially a bumper to bumper warranty (2 years from Entegra, 3 years from Spartan, and 5 years from Cummins).

3.) there are nice, honest people at Entegra

4.) You get a lot of coach for the money compared to other brands.

AND, welcome to the forum, and your first post

Gary

Good post, Gary. I would add that in addition to being nice, and honest, the people at Entegra bend over backwards to please the customer. Also note that Entegra's 2-year bumper to bumper warranty is a huge factor. Most other manufacturers have only a one year warranty. That year goes by very fast, and the fact that Entegra buyers have a second year's warranty is a very big deal.

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Bill

I didn't mean to imply......sorry if it sounded that way. The warranties are from Entegra, Spartan, and Cummins.

Not sure how it happens, but sometimes my fingers type something other than what my brain is thinking......

Gary

We all have that problem from time to time . Your fingers also implied you had bought "direct from the factory", which I don't believe is possible, and likely not what you meant.

[Butte64]

Take note that there are also two types of problems that can be avoided.
The first is expectations of perfection that are not realistic.
The second is problems due to lack of user/owner knowledge. It amazes me at times what I see or read or hear about what people do or don’t do that cause problems and then blame the manufacturers. Related to this are the people who drive away from the dealer without knowing how everything works and checking that everything works.

[hogdriver]

Myfit

Everybody has pearls of wisdom but let me pass on something I tried (worked so-so) with a relative buying their first MH.

No matter what brand you buy remember you are buying a house that goes down the road with problems with both houses and vehicles. IMHO an RV is always “broken”. It’s just a matter of what the broken item is, how much you need it, and can I enjoy the rest of my trip without it. It’s about patience and understanding. My relatives expected the same mechanical reliability as their Prius.....never going to achieve that. Compared to my time in the field in Iraq, I can live with a lot as long as I go where I need and do what I want.

My Entegra is my fourth MH and it is better than most but not the best of all.

[fvdl]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

Myfit

Everybody has pearls of wisdom but let me pass on something I tried (worked so-so) with a relative buying their first MH.

No matter what brand you buy remember you are buying a house that goes down the road with problems with both houses and vehicles. IMHO an RV is always “broken”. It’s just a matter of what the broken item is, how much you need it, and can I enjoy the rest of my trip without it. It’s about patience and understanding. My relatives expected the same mechanical reliability as their Prius.....never going to achieve that. Compared to my time in the field in Iraq, I can live with a lot as long as I go where I need and do what I want.

My Entegra is my fourth MH and it is better than most but not the best of all.

"IMHO an RV is always “broken”. It’s just a matter of what the broken item is, how much you need it, and can I enjoy the rest of my trip without it." - YES @hogdriver! We've had our Entegra Esteem 27U for almost a year now and have taken it on 7 big trips- either before or after there has always been some issue, but usually you can get on without it... Our last big trip to Yosemite the hydraulic jack system wasn't working - I think due to a wire coming disconnected underneath - no power to the panel... anyway our site was pretty level, so no biggie... The key to RV ownership IMHO (and just 11 months of experience) is to buy local from a reputable dealer that has their own service center. I got mine from La Mesa RV in San Diego and their service department and customer service is phenomenal. Also, Entegra's 2 yr warranty and their approval process is golden.

[philnail]

We purchased our Entegra Anthem new in January 2013. Very few issues and now 8 years and 100,000 miles on the coach I would not trade it for anything else. Def is the number one issue people have had. There are a few things that can be done to limit your chances of getting shut down on the side of the road with def and all coaches have that issue.

That said Entegra is a fantastic coach all around and you couldn’t go wrong

[Gary.Jones]

Ed



Boy we are getting precise. I re-read my post when you questioned my first statement and realized that I had written something that could be misinterpreted even before you commented on it. What I meant to say was that my Anthem and Cornerstone were direct from factory to me.... they were not dealer purchased coaches sitting on their lot on the basis of spec sales..... I ordered my Cornerstone in January and of course, it was technically ordered by a dealer (NIRVC) but it was ordered specifically for me and I took possession a few days after it arrived to be given to me. Same for my Anthem. OK, does that get more clear?

Actually, I'm not giving you a hard time.... you have been right both times.

Gary

[2cyber71]

Entegra is a very nice RV company.
Has good people with a good 2 yr warranty for what they do.

Winnebago is a very nice RV company too.
Has good people with a good 3 yr warranty for what they do.

Freightliner chassis is 3 yrs, Cummins is 5 yrs.
All the appliances are about the same, have their warranty.
Samsung, Whirlpool, domestic, Aquahot, power gear, infotainment by Xcite, kwikee, tethford, etc.

I say pick your floorplan first, colors second, manufacturer third.

[hdgoldie]

We’ve owned Entegras since 2012. We bought our first Entegra because it had the best bang for our buck. We bought the second and third because they have incredible customer service and they are still the best bang for the buck. Will you have issues? Probably. It’s a (not so tiny) house. Things are going to shake loose, some of them literally. And then there’s lots of mechanical stuff that needs maintenance, that has a part fail or another connection to shake loose. And did I mention the incredible customer service that makes sure you get it fixed? There are (I believe) now over 5,000 Entegras rolling. You probably see a couple hundred on here. A lot of those other coaches are putting on lots of trouble free miles. Best advice I can give you is to make sure you have a facility - whether or not it’s a dealership - who can do the repairs you don’t/can’t do yourself. And then enjoy the ride.

[Dieselgem]

Originally Posted by myfitrip

This is my first post on this forum after reading for several weeks and I have a question for the Entegra owners who seem to be loyal to the brand and enjoy their motor coaches.

Background: I have done a lot of research and really like the Entegra Anthem coach and am planning to purchase one in the near future. But I have to say that the number of issues that these vehicles have right out of the factory is a concern. I have learned through reading this forum that the right dealer makes a big difference but still it seems that many of you spend a lot of time in the shop or a lot of your own time keeping your coach in shape.

Can anyone offer comments or thoughts on why by an Entegra?

Thanks

MyFitrip

You made this post on a forum where there is a very loyal following of Entegra Coaches. They are good Coaches and your observations are correct. They do spend a lot of time being repaired. Whether or not they end up in the shop depends on your expertise and comfort in making the repair. There is a fantastic network of owners ( a few cranky ones) who will help you with a vast array of knowledge. This alone will save you countless hours on the phone and in a repair shop. At the Factory, Joyce and her staff at the Factory will go beyond your expectations on customer service. Nonetheless those trips are expensive and time consuming and you need to be prepared. So don't be scared of the brand, but remember to take every opinion with a grain of salt and go into the purchase with your eyes open.