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Quality Manufacturers


MilesAndSmiles

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When looking to buy a used (or new I suppose) motorhome for Full-time RVing, the most frequent advice I read is "Buy a motorhome from a quality manufacturer for the best chance of getting a quality motorhome." But which manufacturers are "quality" manufactures? It seems like Tiffin is often at the top of the quality list, and often Newmar. At the bottom it seems I hear most about Thor and Forest River. So...

 

What would you say are the top "Quality Manufacturers" of Class A motorhomes, either gas or diesel pushers, and why? And remember, quality doesn't necessarily mean "most expensive." I'm talking about Reliability, Durability, Comfort & Fit, and after-sales service.

 

 

2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A

Retired and loving it!

www.milesandsmiles.us

 

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American coach by Fleetwood. Excellent quality and still in production good support.

Tiffin...good quality still in production.

Newmar good quality good support.

Newell...top quality good support

Prevost ...top quality good support

Bluebird Wanderlodge ...top quality

Foretravel.....excellent quality....good support

Country Coach...very good quality

Beaver....excellent quality.

 

Any one of these above coaches are in the " best you can buy " range and it depends on individual floorplans and accessories to narrow the search down more.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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American coach by Fleetwood. Excellent quality and still in production good support.

Tiffin...good quality still in production.

Newmar good quality good support.

Newell...top quality good support

Prevost ...top quality good support

Bluebird Wanderlodge ...top quality

Foretravel.....excellent quality....good support

Country Coach...very good quality

Beaver....excellent quality.

 

Any one of these above coaches are in the " best you can buy " range and it depends on individual floorplans and accessories to narrow the search down more.

 

 

Great list! I'll add in what I consider the TopTier coaches, the Monaco (Beavers, i many of the post Monaco takeover, our very similar to the other higher end Monaco's.) Say Dynasty on up, with special emphasis on Executive and Signature. And as with the Beaver, the equivalent in the Holliday Rambler line too.)

 

I'd also add the Travel Supreme, Alpine and now the Entegra line. Some years of the Revolution (Had a more modern design inside and out.) model from Fleetwood, were built on the same line as American Coach.

 

It's also important to understand the specific model line up, as with many of the manufactures, they have entry level coaches that are, well, entry level.

 

If you want to step down to what I consider Tier 2 quality coaches. And no disrespect intended, and for sure very subjective. But very solid and good bank for the buck coaches. Add in Rexhall (Innovative layouts, 'T-Rex super slides (Well designed, and relatively bullet proof for larger slides.)one piece fiberglass roof and caps and most important to us - a steel frame safety cage), Tripple E (Very well insulated, superior wood working, and very few and far apart:)!), Winnebago's top lines from various years. If you drop a bit older, National also made some nice DP's too, with the Pacifica being built on Country Coach Dynomax chassis.)

 

The key is to look for the features that are important to you. Mechanical, interior, slides, size - and narrow down the search to the manufactures and models that best meet what is important to you.

 

Happy hunting,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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I must take a different approach than the first two replies. You need to qualify the choices based upon price as you can hardly compare the American Coach group which sell used from $500K to $800K to a Winnebago product that in the same age may sell from $100K to perhaps as much as $300K. If you want to just pick the highest quality of motorhome on the market, ignoring the little issue of cost, then clearly the best is the Newell or the Marathon, which happen to sell used for more than $1 million each and new for close to $2 million!

 

Are we thinking of diesel pushers or gas chassis, or perhaps even the class C? And if a class C, what about one of the super C units? If we go by brand name alone, then to compare Tiffin you must also simply say Fleetwood which means anything from a Bounder to an American Coach. And the fact is that in the more moderate price range of class A, there is no company that has as good or as long a record of product quality and support as does Tiffin. Newell, & Prevost will have to be in the 15 to 20 year old group before they begin to be in the same price range as anything from Tiffen, Newmar, or Winnebago, all of which have excellent records but who don't build anything in the $1 million plus market.

 

Foretravel is a good product, but they are very expensive if recent and they can be expensive to maintain if older. Bluebird built a fine coach, but they stopped building RVs back in 2009, and now only build school buses. There is no factory support of them. Country Coach is one that built a great coach, but again it was to the high side of the price market when new and factory support is still a bit of a question as the remainder of that company was recently sold to Winnebago so that hasn't yet been clearly demonstrated. I agree that the Travel Supreme was a very good coach, but again, no factory support at all today. In my opinion, you really can't compare RVs in any detail unless you also set some sort of budget limits. In addition, the RV industry is much like the auto industry in that some coach brands and models have had many great years with an occasional bad one or a history of bad products with an occasional good one.

 

There are several approaches to the used market. If you want to set a purchase price range and then try and match that by adjusting to older coaches from the high price market compared to more recent ones at the more mid range price, you can do that and may do so effectively. But keep in mind that older RVs will likely need appliances replaced if still original, while newer probably will not. If you buy an older coach, you may get a real bargain, but it then becomes critical to have it completely checked out by professionals.

 

I suggest that members could give you far better advice if we knew a bit more specifics about what you want. There is really nothing wrong with advice given thus far, but it doesn't really narrow things down much. One thing that you might find helpful in comparing the wide range in choices would be to consider joining the RV Consumer Group and take advantage of the information that you get with a membership. It is important to keep in mind that no RV manufacturer is so good that they have no unhappy customers and neither is any RV manufacturer so bad that they have no happy customers. No matter what advice we give to you, you will be the one who has to live with whatever RV you select.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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I must take a different approach than the first two replies. You need to qualify the choices based upon price as you can hardly compare the American Coach group which sell used from $500K to $800K to a Winnebago product that in the same age may sell from $100K to perhaps as much as $300K. If you want to just pick the highest quality of motorhome on the market, ignoring the little issue of cost, then clearly the best is the Newell or the Marathon, which happen to sell used for more than $1 million each and new for close to $2 million!

 

Are we thinking of diesel pushers or gas chassis, or perhaps even the class C? And if a class C, what about one of the super C units? If we go by brand name alone, then to compare Tiffin you must also simply say Fleetwood which means anything from a Bounder to an American Coach. And the fact is that in the more moderate price range of class A, there is no company that has as good or as long a record of product quality and support as does Tiffin. Newell, & Prevost will have to be in the 15 to 20 year old group before they begin to be in the same price range as anything from Tiffen, Newmar, or Winnebago, all of which have excellent records but who don't build anything in the $1 million plus market.

 

Foretravel is a good product, but they are very expensive if recent and they can be expensive to maintain if older. Bluebird built a fine coach, but they stopped building RVs back in 2009, and now only build school buses. There is no factory support of them. Country Coach is one that built a great coach, but again it was to the high side of the price market when new and factory support is still a bit of a question as the remainder of that company was recently sold to Winnebago so that hasn't yet been clearly demonstrated. I agree that the Travel Supreme was a very good coach, but again, no factory support at all today. In my opinion, you really can't compare RVs in any detail unless you also set some sort of budget limits. In addition, the RV industry is much like the auto industry in that some coach brands and models have had many great years with an occasional bad one or a history of bad products with an occasional good one.

 

There are several approaches to the used market. If you want to set a purchase price range and then try and match that by adjusting to older coaches from the high price market compared to more recent ones at the more mid range price, you can do that and may do so effectively. But keep in mind that older RVs will likely need appliances replaced if still original, while newer probably will not. If you buy an older coach, you may get a real bargain, but it then becomes critical to have it completely checked out by professionals.

 

I suggest that members could give you far better advice if we knew a bit more specifics about what you want. There is really nothing wrong with advice given thus far, but it doesn't really narrow things down much. One thing that you might find helpful in comparing the wide range in choices would be to consider joining the RV Consumer Group and take advantage of the information that you get with a membership. It is important to keep in mind that no RV manufacturer is so good that they have no unhappy customers and neither is any RV manufacturer so bad that they have no happy customers. No matter what advice we give to you, you will be the one who has to live with whatever RV you select.

 

Well composed Kirk........very concise answer for a very broad subject.....

 

Drive on............(Enjoy RV shopping........)

97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S

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"National also made some nice DP's too, with the Pacifica being built on Country Coach Dynomax chassis."

I think the Pacifica was put out after Country Coach was spun off, so did not use a Country Coach chassis. The older National RV Islanders, up to around 2004/5, were on a Country Coach chassis.

2004 40' Newmar Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Fulltimer July 2003 to October 2018, Parttimer now.
Travels through much of 2013 - http://www.sacnoth.com - Bill, Diane and Evita (the cat)
 

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I must take a different approach than the first two replies. You need to qualify the choices based upon price as you can hardly compare the American Coach group which sell used from $500K to $800K to a Winnebago product that in the same age may sell from $100K to perhaps as much as $300K. If you want to just pick the highest quality of motorhome on the market, ignoring the little issue of cost, then clearly the best is the Newell or the Marathon, which happen to sell used for more than $1 million each and new for close to $2 million!

 

Are we thinking of diesel pushers or gas chassis, or perhaps even the class C? And if a class C, what about one of the super C units? If we go by brand name alone, then to compare Tiffin you must also simply say Fleetwood which means anything from a Bounder to an American Coach. And the fact is that in the more moderate price range of class A, there is no company that has as good or as long a record of product quality and support as does Tiffin. Newell, & Prevost will have to be in the 15 to 20 year old group before they begin to be in the same price range as anything from Tiffen, Newmar, or Winnebago, all of which have excellent records but who don't build anything in the $1 million plus market.

 

Foretravel is a good product, but they are very expensive if recent and they can be expensive to maintain if older. Bluebird built a fine coach, but they stopped building RVs back in 2009, and now only build school buses. There is no factory support of them. Country Coach is one that built a great coach, but again it was to the high side of the price market when new and factory support is still a bit of a question as the remainder of that company was recently sold to Winnebago so that hasn't yet been clearly demonstrated. I agree that the Travel Supreme was a very good coach, but again, no factory support at all today. In my opinion, you really can't compare RVs in any detail unless you also set some sort of budget limits. In addition, the RV industry is much like the auto industry in that some coach brands and models have had many great years with an occasional bad one or a history of bad products with an occasional good one.

 

There are several approaches to the used market. If you want to set a purchase price range and then try and match that by adjusting to older coaches from the high price market compared to more recent ones at the more mid range price, you can do that and may do so effectively. But keep in mind that older RVs will likely need appliances replaced if still original, while newer probably will not. If you buy an older coach, you may get a real bargain, but it then becomes critical to have it completely checked out by professionals.

 

I suggest that members could give you far better advice if we knew a bit more specifics about what you want. There is really nothing wrong with advice given thus far, but it doesn't really narrow things down much. One thing that you might find helpful in comparing the wide range in choices would be to consider joining the RV Consumer Group and take advantage of the information that you get with a membership. It is important to keep in mind that no RV manufacturer is so good that they have no unhappy customers and neither is any RV manufacturer so bad that they have no happy customers. No matter what advice we give to you, you will be the one who has to live with whatever RV you select.

 

Thanks so much for this advice. It really helps.

 

We are only looking at Class A. In fact I'm hoping to pay about $100K or less. It will be my first RV and I realize that what I THINK I need and what we will actually discover is best for us may be quite different. That said, I'm hoping that I could find a used DP in the 6-10 yr old range, or a gasser in the 3-5 year range that will fit the bill.

 

Our main requirement other than a solidly built unit is a coach that has bunks, and of course we've got a lot of other wants of varying importance.

 

Does this raise any other thoughts?

2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A

Retired and loving it!

www.milesandsmiles.us

 

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"National also made some nice DP's too, with the Pacifica being built on Country Coach Dynomax chassis."

I think the Pacifica was put out after Country Coach was spun off, so did not use a Country Coach chassis. The older National RV Islanders, up to around 2004/5, were on a Country Coach chassis.

 

Yep, I was wrong - dang it, almost went all of 2015 with 'only' being wrong 99 times, this puts me up to 100!!!!

 

And I like the way Kirk answered too, and hope the OP does provide more feedback on their specific needs.

 

On the gas front, I had Mountain Aire, Triple E as well as Rexhall on my lists. On the non new front, I also like the UFO based 8.1 Rear Engine gasser. Holiday Rambler (Monaco) had some that were well thought of by the UFO cloud. And I did like the 37' version of the Rexhall UFO's - with Bill Rex's T-Rex super slides - you could square dance inside of these. And, they sure had a unique design and modern looking design...

 

My usually advice, for those that are shopping, is to go out and kick many tires, sit in many rigs. Make lists of what is important to the two of you. I call it the 'Must Have' and 'Nice to Have' list. Put it in a spread sheet. Award one point if the item is on a specific rig, and my wife and I also could award up to 5 points on 5 items, so that those that were more important were more heavily weighted in the scoring. We both scored individually, then we merged the scores, to get a good record on our feelings for a specific rig. Keeps the emotions out of things, and helps after looking for longer period of times on the memory.

 

We came down to a short list of manufactures and models and years, that we felt best matched what we were looking for, and were within our budget range. Then we started out hung in earnest!

 

Another bit of advice I give, is to 'Drop years to remain within budget, and buy the highest quality coach that you can.' I feel that quality lasts, especially on the chassis and structural integrity of the coach. Better cabinets, and material choices and hardware last too. And a high quality coach can be relatively easily updated to specific likes of new owners. They provide a solid/good foundation to build off from. And I also like buying from 3-7 years old, as the highest bit on depreciation is behind you. Orphan coaches are IMO of minor concern, as most of the components are still available. Many of the now orphan coaches, have their molds for front/rear caps available (Monaco, Alpine, Country Coach are examples), and the majority of the time repairs shops just rebuild the existing damaged front/rear anyways.

 

But, it for sure is not important what anyone else thinks or feels. It is what the person writing the check thinks that matters:)! Keep doing your homework, update with more specifics on what/how you feel you'll use this coach. This gang has lots of experience, I tapped into them heavily on our decision process, and can provides lots of items for you to consider along this path of buying our RV.

 

Best,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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We are only looking at Class A. In fact I'm hoping to pay about $100K or less. It will be my first RV and I realize that what I THINK I need and what we will actually discover is best for us may be quite different. That said, I'm hoping that I could find a used DP in the 6-10 yr old range, or a gasser in the 3-5 year range that will fit the bill.

 

Our main requirement other than a solidly built unit is a coach that has bunks, and of course we've got a lot of other wants of varying importance.

For a budget of $100k you should be able to get into a gas coach that is 1 or 2 years old like this 2013 Winnebago, with 3 slides. In a quality diesel there are many at about 8/9 years like this 2006, 40', 4 slide Tiffin coach. I suggest that you take a look at the RV Trader website and just plug in a few things that you want and see what comes up. It is a national publication and should give a good feel for what is available. Finding one with bunks could be the greatest challenge as so many of the larger class A rigs are sold to couples with no children. For some reason, the class C often has more sleeping capacity than a larger class A. The one with bunks do exist, but you will have to do some searching to find them.

 

I very much agree with Smitty in his comments about "window shopping." You can learn a great deal by just looking at a lot of RVs and spending a lot of time comparing them. As you do so, look into, under and over everything. While you don't need to do a complete inspection of each one, it is a good thing to study a good inspection list just to get some ideas of how to look for signs of good or poor quality and of wear or good maintenance. The check list that I like best, is this one from the RV Consumer Group.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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Ok let me add a few more of my thoughts on this subject. Many of you here know that I abhore financing and paying interest on a depreciating asset so to put my money where my mouth is I went and bought a 2001 Fleetwood American Eagle 40ft Diesel Pusher .

The original sales slip is in the coach so I can say with certainty that it sold for $400,000 in 2001. I bought it in 2013 for $62,000...paid cash. It has 90k miles on it now and runs great. Many people have commented that it looks much newer than 2001 and that is because I bought a top of the line high quality coach. Over the 2 years I have owned it I have put approx. another $10,000 dollars into it which is pretty much what I expected to have to do. Now I have a coach with new windshields, new tires, new electrics, upgraded television and sound systems and a few mods that make it slightly more usable according to our wants and desires.

A new coach today runs in the $700, 000 range and mine still compares favorably to a new one. I have even offered to my wife to get a newer coach and she looks at me like I'm crazy and says "why? Ours is every bit as nice and in some cases nicer than new ones"

 

The point of this is that there are so many nice used motorhomes out there that are gently used and have lots of life left in them that I find it difficult to fathom why people would want to spend a fortune on a new or almost new one.

 

Of course people will post now that disagree with me but I wanted to point out that this is all doable without breaking the bank.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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Ok let me add a few more of my thoughts on this subject. Many of you here know that I abhore financing and paying interest on a depreciating asset so to put my money where my mouth is I went and bought a 2001 Fleetwood American Eagle 40ft Diesel Pusher .

The original sales slip is in the coach so I can say with certainty that it sold for $400,000 in 2001. I bought it in 2013 for $62,000...paid cash. It has 90k miles on it now and runs great. Many people have commented that it looks much newer than 2001 and that is because I bought a top of the line high quality coach. Over the 2 years I have owned it I have put approx. another $10,000 dollars into it which is pretty much what I expected to have to do. Now I have a coach with new windshields, new tires, new electrics, upgraded television and sound systems and a few mods that make it slightly more usable according to our wants and desires.

A new coach today runs in the $700, 000 range and mine still compares favorably to a new one. I have even offered to my wife to get a newer coach and she looks at me like I'm crazy and says "why? Ours is every bit as nice and in some cases nicer than new ones"

 

The point of this is that there are so many nice used motorhomes out there that are gently used and have lots of life left in them that I find it difficult to fathom why people would want to spend a fortune on a new or almost new one.

 

Of course people will post now that disagree with me but I wanted to point out that this is all doable without breaking the bank.

 

Our experience is very similar to what Jim describes. Our Beaver had 55k miles on it when we purchased in in 2010 and now has >105k. For a CAT C-12 that's practically nothing. The changes we've made have made it into exactly what we want and we've spent far less than the cost of a quality MH with a large block diesel, assuming you can even find one.

Sandie & Joel

2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12
2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake system
WiFiRanger Ambassador
Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels

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Ok let me add a few more of my thoughts on this subject. Many of you here know that I abhore financing and paying interest on a depreciating asset so to put my money where my mouth is I went and bought a 2001 Fleetwood American Eagle 40ft Diesel Pusher .

The original sales slip is in the coach so I can say with certainty that it sold for $400,000 in 2001. I bought it in 2013 for $62,000...paid cash. It has 90k miles on it now and runs great. Many people have commented that it looks much newer than 2001 and that is because I bought a top of the line high quality coach. Over the 2 years I have owned it I have put approx. another $10,000 dollars into it which is pretty much what I expected to have to do. Now I have a coach with new windshields, new tires, new electrics, upgraded television and sound systems and a few mods that make it slightly more usable according to our wants and desires.

A new coach today runs in the $700, 000 range and mine still compares favorably to a new one. I have even offered to my wife to get a newer coach and she looks at me like I'm crazy and says "why? Ours is every bit as nice and in some cases nicer than new ones"

 

The point of this is that there are so many nice used motorhomes out there that are gently used and have lots of life left in them that I find it difficult to fathom why people would want to spend a fortune on a new or almost new one.

 

Of course people will post now that disagree with me but I wanted to point out that this is all doable without breaking the bank.

 

I'm not one that will disagree with you:)! (Though I purposely only paid 50% of our purchase price, and finance the rest with a 4.25% loan. Schedule A helps reduce the percentage rate down quite a bit too. And, my return on investments have been 8.5%+ on the buckets of funds I drew from for the coach purchase.)

 

We have also now made this 'our coach', as we felt it was a good foundation to work from. And as I mentioned before, and as you too have pointed out - you can get a top quality coach at a substantial discount from the 'when new' price. And, depreciation from point forward is a much less dramatic drop.

 

For sure many people prefer new, and will choose a lower quality and content coach to obtain new - and that's OK, as it is their money to spend as they want... And heck, someone has to buy the new coaches, so that used ones are available in the future:)!

 

Your example of buying a solid built, good quality coach with lots of life ahead - is a classic example of a 'non new' coach purchase approach!

 

Best to you, and all,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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This is great input, and is definitely confirming my sense that the best choice for us is to find an older, high-end coach. Yes, finding bunks is hard, but there are more out there than I would have imagined. And, since I'm off this week I'm hoping that my wife and I can go kick around a couple of dealers to see what they have.

 

Some have asked for more details. After visiting Hershey this fall, my wife and I came up with this list of what we're looking for:

 

MUST HAVE

Built by a quality manufacturer
35 to 40 feet
Bunkhouse (and drop-down over cab bed if available. The idea is for each of our 3 older teens to be able to have their own bed)

HIGH VALUE WANTS

Shelves or nightstands on both sides of master bedTV located for direct viewing from the couch (i.e. on side of coach, not behind one end of dinette or above cab)
Dinette or table seats 5, accessible with slides closed
Full-size refrigerator

Queen or King bed

MEDIUM VALUE WANTS
Washer/Dryer
Quality (not plastic) sinks and faucets
Solar
Bunkhouse easily convertible to closet or work space when it's just the 2 of us
1 1/2 baths
Black out shades in bedroom
Hydraulic levelers
Power Awning(s)

PLUSSES IF THERE
Well designed interior and exterior storage spaces
On demand water heater
Decor with lighter colors

2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A

Retired and loving it!

www.milesandsmiles.us

 

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If you have no RV experience, it might be a good idea to rent one for a trip first, just to make sure that you really understand what it is to live in one. You will find that the most available rentals are class C rigs but that should still give you some experience that will be very close to what you are planning. If you have not yet done so, take some time to read a book or two about the lifestyle as well and visit one of two of the traveling family sites such as Fulltime Families.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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If you have no RV experience, it might be a good idea to rent one for a trip first, just to make sure that you really understand what it is to live in one. You will find that the most available rentals are class C rigs but that should still give you some experience that will be very close to what you are planning. If you have not yet done so, take some time to read a book or two about the lifestyle as well and visit one of two of the traveling family sites such as Fulltime Families.

Good advice! Actually, we've done quite a bit of renting. I even wrote a book about it (Now available on Amazon - "The Complete Guide to Renting an RV"). And as to reading about the lifestyle --- well, let's just say that the family thinks I'm obsessed, but my wife is fully onboard. Part of the Class of 2017 and counting.

2004 Fleetwood Southwind 37A

Retired and loving it!

www.milesandsmiles.us

 

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Before I bought my Coach I used to visit PPL's site and study their coaches as they have the floorplans of each coach for sale. It gave me quite a few ideas.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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This comment was made, "Foretravel is a good product, but they are very expensive if recent and they can be expensive to maintain if older."

 

As a owner, of our second one in 4.5 years, I have found that not true. Used units can be a steal, at 10 -15 cents on the dollar of their original sale prices. We have replaced parts sourced and installed on all the brands mentioned. More amazing to most is the ease of getting to things that we have upgraded on our older high quality coaches. I can not think of any thing that Foretravel built, i.e. furniture grade cabinets, doors, sliding parts, trim, that have failed. Passengers have remarked on how quiet the coach goes down the road, without rattles, and so smoothly.

 

I like the fact that the plumbing system has a maniblock that allows me to turn off any single water line, at the pump. Was handy when I rebuilt the Moen water bay, and kitchen sink faucets, and the toilet. All were original parts from the 1997 build. Replacing the convection micro wave, and the Dometic refer with new standard size residential units was simple.

 

Recently a much newer and high dollar coach in the RV park had to end their stay the morning after they arrived, when they broke water line part on their toilet, and had to shut off all their water. I find diesel shop mechanics are amazed by the engine access when I open the almost full width rear engine access, that is almost 5' tall as well. Try to find any RV with a Allison Transmission Retarder braking system, like Prevost uses, that is standard on Foretravels. Look at the power to weight ratio of a Foretravel, vs other RV's out there and you will be happy as we are, with all our stuff, and our huge tanks, as well.

Dave and Dolly Cobb
Arlington TX

1998 Foretravel, U-295 36', rare mid-door
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, as a toad

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In our early RVing years I recall stopping in Idaho to look at Foretravels. The salesman stated emphatically that Foretravel will never have slideouts. :) We statedd that since most manufacturers do nowadays they ought to change their mind because it's a hot selling point. They do have slideouts now! Never say never.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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In our early RVing years I recall stopping in Idaho to look at Foretravels. The salesman stated emphatically that Foretravel will never have slideouts. :) We statedd that since most

manufacturers do nowadays they ought to change their mind because it's a hot selling point. They do have slideouts now! Never say never.

Yep, never say never, as times do change. Foretravel did some redesign to their semi monocoupe structures to allow for the side wall openings. Foretravel did start offering slides in 99, and by 2000 were getting common in their production line. They use the HWH air bladder seals, so have really nice smooth side walls. The air bladder seals against road noise, and water. By 2001 they were offering one, or two slides, and since then have offered three or four, buyers choice.

 

Foretravel did build a very limited number of custom ordered non slide coaches. A friend just bought a custom 2003, 36' non slide, mid door, Grand Villa sloped front, 295 upgraded with Aqua Hot and some special floor plan changes. There have also been some even newer non slide Foretravels offered used. As Foretravel was a custom builder, you might find any number of special features on the market.

Dave and Dolly Cobb
Arlington TX

1998 Foretravel, U-295 36', rare mid-door
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, as a toad

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One thing that threads of this type always demonstrate is that which brand is the best varies widely from one RVer to the next. It has been my observation that there are no RVs that do not have at least a few owners who recommend them to others and it is also rare to find any that nobody complains about. Throw in the fact that most of us have only owned a few different brands and so much of what we believe to be good or bad RVs is based more upon observation than experience.

 

Ultimately, each of us must accept the responsibility for the final purchase decision and accept the risk that comes with that.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Kirk, so well said. It always amazes me to listen to morning coffee table, or cocktail evening chats. Owners sing the praises for what they own, and often not so much of what they sold. A friend has always been the best fan of his current brand. But it was interesting to hear him chat with a same brand owner about the problems with his current brand, and how they had phrases for the common issues they each were suffering.

 

Seems it comes down to what color and if the DW likes it. In the end we should all do what makes us happy.

Dave and Dolly Cobb
Arlington TX

1998 Foretravel, U-295 36', rare mid-door
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, as a toad

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I agree with you Kirk that ultimately you have to make your own decision and live with it. But I also agree with the OP asking his question and getting the answers he got. Its a much better start than not asking the question.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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Its a much better start than not asking the question.

No doubt about that. Research is the first step in finding the right rig. And if buying used it is wise to get professional help to lower the risk of making a bad choice.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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