MH Brands, Quality, Etc.

[DaBruuzer]

Originally posted the following in my New Member Intro thread (HERE if anyone cares to read it), but didn't really get any responses. I realize everyone seems to have a fav manufacturer (kinda like the old Ford People vs Chevy People thing), but was hoping for some guidance:

Is there some kind of "hierarchy" in the perceived/real-world quality of motorhome manufacturers? As mentioned, I come from an automotive background, so using GM as an analogy (I know not all divisions are around any longer), you started off with a Chevy, maybe moved up to a Pontiac, then an Olds, a Buick and finally a Caddy. I know they are all the same manufacturer, but I hope you are getting my meaning.

Who is the "Cadillac" or "Rolls Royce" of motorhomes, and who is the "Chevy"? Nothing wrong with a Chevy, but people looking for a Rolls wouldn't be looking at a Chevy. Who is the "Olds" of motorhomes? Or if you come from a Ford background, what about the Ford, versus the Mercury, versus the Lincoln? Etc.

To add a little more, we're thinking of the entry end of things, like a Thor ACE or Vegas/Axis, or perhaps a Jayco Leprechaun (30ft+ range) or Pursuit, etc. Under or just slightly over $100k range, pre-owned.

Thanks in advance for any input!

[Mr_D]

Prevost conversions
Newell
Foretravel (and CC before they went out of business)
Newmar
Monaco

Ahhh. You must have added the last paragraph as I was typing.

[Winterbagoal]

Quality control can vary significantly by manufacturer, as you'd expect, and as many on these forums have observed, higher price doesn't necessarily coincide with a higher level of quality control. You could spend $100K and get a gem, or $500K and get a lump of coal. Caveat emptor.

[DaBruuzer]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Prevost conversions
Newell
Foretravel (and CC before they went out of business)
Newmar
Monaco

Ahhh. You must have added the last paragraph as I was typing.

Thanks for the answer. Was more thinking of the "regular" brands I have been researching, like Coachmen, Forest River, Thor, Jayco, etc. We won't be in the $175k+ range for a LONG time, and will never be in the DP class.

[RescueRamsey]

From what I have heard, and read many times over......Thor is the Yugo of the RV world...... But then again people did like the Yugo lol. I'm sure there are plenty of happy Thor customers, but me personally, I'd never buy one after seeing the crap 2 of my close friends had to deal with. Just my $.02

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by DaBruuzer

Thanks for the answer. Was more thinking of the "regular" brands I have been researching, like Coachmen, Forest River, Thor, Jayco, etc. We won't be in the $175k+ range for a LONG time, and will never be in the DP class.

In the motorhome world - below the $800,000 level, the quality brands are:

Newmar
Entegra
Tiffin

The others you mentioned are all in the lower quality or lower perceived quality brands.

We have a Winnebago and are very impressed with the build quality and the great factory support - full parts catalogs, full electrical diagrams, full plumbing diagrams, etc. Most brands don't have those publicly available. So, I would put Winnebago 4th in the list above. Certainly better perceived quality than Thor, Jayco, etc.

I'd put Fleetword (REV Group) in 5th place and above Thor and others. Some would put REV Group in 4th place and WBGO in 5th. So, it depends on who you ask.

Keep in mind that Thor (Jayco) owns Entegra - but the majority (not all!) of the Entegra line is unique to Entegra and made in Entegra factories. The Thor purchase is fairly new and seems to not be causing a reduction in Entegra quality.

There are plenty of happy Thor / Jayco owners but as mentioned Thor has the lowest perceived quality in the marketplace.

[scbwr]

This past winter/spring, we started researching and looking for a used class A gas motorhome. "The Motorhome Comparison Guide" was a good source of information and there are usually coupons or sales to reduce the price:
https://rvreviews.net/motorhome-comparison-guide/
After doing some preliminary looking, we pretty much narrowed our search to gas motorhomes manufactured by Newmar, Tiffin, and Winnebago/Itasca. We were also considering older Monaco or Holiday Rambler units. We originally only wanted to spend, $35-45K and were looking at 2005-2008 or so models. After seeing a few that needed a lot of work or looked worn and dated, we spent more than that after seeing the 2012 Newmar Bay Star that we bought. We're really happy with the quality of the Newmar and the customer service we have received when I've had a few questions. But, we also liked the Tiffin and
Winnebago/Itasca units we looked at. From our point of view, there were obvious quality differences when you look at Coachmen, Fleetwood and Thor products especially in quality of furniture used, fit and finish, etc.

But as many will say, there's a lot of folks that have been very happy with their Thor, Coachmen, Jayco, Fleetwood, or whatever motorhome. So, learn as much as you can, see as many as you can and then set your priority for what you want to purchase.

[harleyjt]

Originally Posted by scbwr

This past winter/spring, we started researching and looking for a used class A gas motorhome. "The Motorhome Comparison Guide" was a good source of information and there are usually coupons or sales to reduce the price:
https://rvreviews.net/motorhome-comparison-guide/
After doing some preliminary looking, we pretty much narrowed our search to gas motorhomes manufactured by Newmar, Tiffin, and Winnebago/Itasca. We were also considering older Monaco or Holiday Rambler units. We originally only wanted to spend, $35-45K and were looking at 2005-2008 or so models. After seeing a few that needed a lot of work or looked worn and dated, we spent more than that after seeing the 2012 Newmar Bay Star that we bought. We're really happy with the quality of the Newmar and the customer service we have received when I've had a few questions. But, we also liked the Tiffin and
Winnebago/Itasca units we looked at. From our point of view, there were obvious quality differences when you look at Coachmen, Fleetwood and Thor products especially in quality of furniture used, fit and finish, etc.

But as many will say, there's a lot of folks that have been very happy with their Thor, Coachmen, Jayco, Fleetwood, or whatever motorhome. So, learn as much as you can, see as many as you can and then set your priority for what you want to purchase.

I would say from what I have seen, some of the Fleetwoods are very nice rigs. You may be right on the lower end stuff in comparison to say Newmars lower end (BayStar). But if you look at the Fleetwood Southwind or even later Bounders, they are very nice rigs imho. I'll still keep my Newmar though.
jt

[coachmanjay]

Know the Coach House does not make anything that fits your criteria, but look at them to get an idea of quality construction. Lot of used ones still look new.

[Isaac-1]

The thing to keep in mind with RV's is that the better quality built models tend to age better than the lower end stuff


Full body paint tends to outlast vinyl graphics


Real wood cabinets held together with screws outlasts particle board held together with staples


Fiberglass shower surrounds outlast plastic, ....

[miked11272]

2017 Winnebago 30t new 89,900. RV trader.

[miked11272]

We bought a used one year old 2017 Winnebago 35b with 6000 miles on it for under 100,000.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by DaBruuzer

To add a little more, we're thinking of the entry end of things, like a Thor ACE or Vegas/Axis, or perhaps a Jayco Leprechaun (30ft+ range) or Pursuit, etc. Under or just slightly over $100k range, pre-owned.[/I]

OK...I'm really going to try to steer you in the right direction here as I see it...

I'm not going to get into the hierarchy of quality argument because I know where that will go. I'm going to cut to the chase of your question...which is "we're thinking of the entry end of things". All your listed options are gas coaches.

Ok good. That helps.

Look.....for a 100K or so, for a used MH, there are a lot of options. A lot.

I would stay away from anything in your list except maybe the Leprechaun which is a Class C and is made by Coachman not Jayco. There are so many more choices in your price range. Don't let anybody tell you that the floor plan is the most important. That is a boiler plate answer and means absolutely nothing. So let's see, you have the perfect floor plan but the stuff that matters in the MH doesn't work right, is problematic, hard to maintain or doesn't meet your needs. There is no perfect MH for sure. But having a real good understanding of how all this stuff works, the different options available and the "in's and outs" of this life style in general, can save you a lot of future grief and possibly buyers remorse.

Each brand has it's own approach when building a MH. There are so many things to consider when buying a MH and how you will use it. Everything from how the cargo doors open to what kind of roof it has, to the slide and leveling systems it's equipped with and whether you need a lot CCC or not. Oh, and let's not forget this tiny little detail....how the manufacturer will support you after the sale.

Hmmmmm, I think there's a few more things. Are you going to tow, what will insurance cost, do you want on demand hot water, are you a tall person and have to have a king bed, will you be traveling and full timing or a week end warrior, will you be doing any dry camping, do you have a wife and she wants a lot of kitchen counter space, I mean I could go on here till I'm spinning.

I'm going to supply you with a link that will get you started that probably will make you dizzy with things to think about. There are NO FAST AND EASY ANSWERS.

I suggest you back up some and learn, learn, learn, and then learn some more of what's out there. And then ever increasingly narrow down what your needs are and how you'll use this MH. There are good choices and bad choices to be made. The better choices will finally begin to come into focus with the more you learn.

https://www.google.com/search?q=advi...earch=irv2.com

Good luck my friend and take it slow.

[Coarsegold]

Have used Fleetwood rigs for the last 40 years and found for the money to be very good product for under 150k . IF I hit the lottery then likely a Prevost or Tiffin.