Purchase new Motorhome [Archive] - RV Forums

mkramer

01-31-2007, 02:10 PM

10 months ago we decided to upgrade from our 2003 Winnebago Minnie on a Ford E350 gasoline chassis to a new 2006 Monaco Diplomat 40 foot 400 hp Cummins diesel pusher. Main reason to change, more room and more comfort. This is our first experience with diesel and I like it. We got around 7 mpg with the Ford-based Winnebago not towing a car. I tend to drive the Monaco around 65 mph pulling a 2003 Chevy Tracker, so don't get as good mileage as if I kept it between 55 and 60. I have driven it 3500 miles with tank mileage ranging from 4.7 to 8.05 and averaging 5.45 mpg. I am told that it will get better as the engine breaks in.

From my experience and that of a lot of fellow RVers, Monaco is one of the best from a warranty and service standpoint. We had terrible experience with Winnebago over a very unreliable 2000 Rialta bought new that on a 5 week 7000 mile trip had 5 major breakdowns (one requiring a 250 mile tow), numerous minor problems, and 4 months in the shop to replace a fuel vent carbon cannister that VW could not provide with no idea of when we would get it back. After the first two months in the shop, we sued Winnebago, VW, and the dealer and three years later were awarded the Minnie mentioned above.

Although we like the Monaco very much, we have had poor experience with the local Monaco dealer where we bought it. The wait to get it in their shop is very long and it takes a long time and multiple trips to get everything done. In the first 9 months of ownership, it was in their shop a total of 2+ months.

Last week getting ready to attend a rally, I discovered that the chassis batteries had run down, requiring starting using the coach batteries. The engine ran fine but the alternator light would not go out. I called the local dealer and was told that they could not look at it for a week, that they would likely not have any needed parts and that I would not get it back for 2 to 3 weeks. I told them what I thought about that and called Iron Horse RV in San Antonio.

Iron Horse told me that if I could be there at 7:30 the next morning they would get right on it. I was unable to get there before 1:30 PM, but was totally amazed when they called at 3:30 and said it was ready. They had checked the batteries, alternator, and the charging circuits and determined they were OK. There was also a problem with the leveling system alarm sounding. They checked that and determined that the hydraulic fluid was a quart low. The total charge including materials and sales tax was $50.

Guess where I will go for service in the future.

darwin

01-31-2007, 04:20 PM

Thank you for the information. I have two friends with Monacos and they are both pleased. One had a problem with the head liner and took it back to the factory for repairs and was happy with the service. They both get around 9 MPG when driving 60 MPH towing small cars.

I have been looking at a Winnebago Journey, so I will think twice before purchasing one after hearing about your experience.

Thank you again for the reply

Darwin

jackie

01-31-2007, 06:12 PM

We have a Newmar Mountain Aire motorhome and just love it! It is a gas motorhome with a Workhorse engine. It drives easier than any other motorhome we have ever had. It is 35 ft. and with towing our car we get 8 miles per gallon. Hope this helps.

kirkw

01-31-2007, 06:30 PM

We have a 35' Cruise Master on a Ford, V-10 chassis and have been fulltime in it now for nearly seven years. We really like it and have had very few problems. The diesel coaches are really nice to drive and to ride in, but our gasser is just as nice sitting still, which is where most of your time is spent. On our budget the extra $35K to get a nice diesel chassis with air brakes and air ride just did not justify. As nice as they are, they don't save you money and they never will. They cost more to buy and more to maintain, but if the budget is not strained by one, I would go that way. In our case, the money saved makes a big difference in our lifestyle.

retired2001

02-01-2007, 04:48 AM

I have a '96 Monaco Windsor 36' which I has over 100,000 miles. It has the 250 HP Cummins 8.3L and the mileage has gotten better, as it ages. I avg. 9 to 9.5 mpg, but I "cruise" @ 60 mph. I have been pulling a '02 Ford Super Crew, but have recently traded for a ''04 Z71 Crew Cab. We are considering trading this year, as we have no slides and would enjoy a little more room.

seafoxfla

02-03-2007, 09:02 AM

I own a 2003 Winnebago Adventurer and I am very, very pleased to the point that I am now looking to trade up to a Vectra. On my adventurer I get about 7.5 mpg on a workhorse V8

loubago

02-06-2007, 04:10 AM

I am on my THIRD Winnebago product.
I have always found Winnebago to be helpful, and in fact gone out of their way to resolve any issues I presented to them.

In regards to problems with RV's, they ALL have them. Some our directly resulting from poor RV manufacture quality control. Some our directly related to owners from a lack of knowledge.

In regards to Dealers, well here you will find out the character of the dealership in a hurry. One of the largest RV dealers in the USA is located here in FL, and if you call for an appointment today for service you will be told there is at least a 6 month wait. Has been this way for years but folks still pour in there to buy there units to save $1,000. over another dealer. I am always amazed, oh and when you do get your unit in there for service it may takes weeks to months to get it back, only to discover that the problem it went in for still exists.

Most good dealers will provide prompt service, no matter where you purchased your RV, they LOVE warranty work, and get the work done promptly. Post manufacturer work you should look and find a local business, not necessariily an RV Dealer, that works on RV's. The best information comes from experienced folks, talk and surf for a lot of opinions. Don't make a decision on one or two persons experience.

Lou

garbageman

02-12-2007, 02:02 PM

Hi Darwin. I've been using a class A MH for 10 years now and just purchased my 2nd one. To answer your question I would have to know what your needs are.

We bought our MH because we drag race and got tired of staying in motels. We needed an RV that could pull a trailer with race car, 6000 lb., (Diesel) and have enough room for 3 persons (Class A) and be small enough so overall length, MH + trailer, wouldn't be over whelming (33 foot). That is how we ended up with what we did (it is the Hawkins for sale on this website).

We buy used because we can't afford and do not want to take the depreciation hit on a new RV. We also figure that any problems that occure during initial owner ship will have been taken care of. I know that there can and will be problems with a used RV but I can handle that. I also look for MH with some miles on them and hours on the generator, there's nothing worse on a diesel engine and generator than idle months.

If you aren't planning on towing anything over 5000lb. then a gas MH will be ok but I wouldn't want a lot of miles on a gas rig. A class A will give you more useable storage than a class C but then that depends on your personnal needs. A class C will usally give you more sleep capacity/orrangements.

Above all look for quality in workmanship. Little things like screws intead of staples, metal versus plastic, etc.... ALL MH will have issues, it's a fact of life.

Good luck with your search, your head is going to spin with all the information and opinions out there.

Paul

rvingchub

02-18-2007, 09:24 PM

rcplumley

02-21-2007, 01:33 PM

i have a old itasca 29ft class a and it has a 6.2 diesel which i love. have been a diesel mech. all my life and have made several inprovements i now get 12mpg and have got 14mpg going across ok.tx nm on 40 doing 65&70 so i will keep the old beast for as long as i can. but do get odd looks at times cause of her age and the the many battle scars. but i just smile and move along well ya'll have a good day..........R.C.

lemil

02-23-2007, 10:50 AM

We have a 32 ft Southwind by Fleetwood & like it.Has workhorse chassie. It has 2 slideouts.Use to have 40 diesel when we were fulltimers & now downsized to the 32 ft.It was a good choice.

donbar

03-01-2007, 07:48 PM

We purchased a Forest River Georgetown 378 this past December. We have been very happy with the product, lots of room in the living room with two slides and a third in the bedroom. We took the unit in recently for it's first check list and had very little problems to deal with and the service was great. When we first started looking at motorhomes, Georgetown was never on our list but as we looked we found it to be a good value for the dollar. We did a lot of searching on the Internet before signing on the line and never came upon a truely negative problem. It rides well, and it's comfortable, we are fulltimers.

aus10

03-02-2007, 07:37 AM

One of the largest RV dealers in the USA is located here in FL, and if you call for an appointment today for service you will be told there is at least a 6 month wait.
Lou

Is this the dealer in Seffner right outside Tampa? If so...thank you, this is a good thing to know. We have been looking at trading from our fiver to a Class-A Diesel and have been shopping with these people...but...bad service will be a deal breaker... Thank you!

frank

03-02-2007, 09:23 AM

We wish you the best in your endeavor to buy!!!
We are on our fourth motorhome and first Winnebago-very good unit and no problems-we have 50,000 miles on it.

This is our third Ford V10 and we love the power and the ride. We get 7.5 to 8.0mpg once we get out of New England (7.0 around NE). Can cruise at 62 MPH and you do not hear the engine.

Fit and finish is great and we love the floor plan.

We have had this unit longer than any of the 11 trailers and motorhomes we have had in the past because we do not find anything out there that "hits us."

Good Luck!!

darwin

03-12-2007, 04:46 PM

Thank you to everyone who has replyed to my note.
This is where I am now. I plan to purchase a new motorhome in the next few months.
I have driven a Winnebago Journey (diesel), Adventure, (gas) and a Sportscoach Crosscountry (diesel). My wife and I liked the Crosscountry floorplan and were leaning toward purchasing one. When I drove the motorhome I loved the way it drove until I reached approx. 60 MPH. I was in a cross wind and the wind noise was a roar at times. I though somethind was wrong with the coach. I have owned a gas motorhome for many year and have never experienced a noise as loud as this. I do plan to talk with the dealer, maby something was wrong with this coach.
We plan to take our time, we do not have any trip planned until the fall.
What I am thinking about is a diesel 32 to 38 feet.
I think the Crosscountry was a little under powered with the 300 Cummings and I was on flat ground. I plan to travel through the mountains at time towing a SUV.

Please give me you thoughts.
Thanks to everyone
Darwin

hemlock

03-13-2007, 06:27 PM

Hello Darwin, I think it is very smart checking out many models. I would suggest that you would be very happy getting the longest unit you can afford and handle on the road.
The thought being, on those cold and dreary days when there is no place to go and nothing to do. You and yours will need all the room you can get.....
This old man speaks from experience!!! ha ha
The more coach you have, the better resale in years to come. I have looked at coach's 1999 & 2000 for example there are several on e bay and other sites. they were top of the line 200,000 plus when they were built, but they only have one slide. Thus there resale value is way below what it should be, as most of the newer coach's have three to four slide's, it's to bad - but someone that doesn't mind just one slide, might be able to get a real buy if they shop around. You shouldn't hear all that wind noise in a quality coach, something is wrong there.. just my tcw. Happy Hunting John

fredh

03-14-2007, 11:49 AM

I agree with Loubago completly. I have an older 1997 Winni Adventurer 38ft. with a Ford 460. Get close to 9.5 MPG pulling a Saturn wagon. This is with the Banks exhaust system installed.
I was really educated on Winnebago from their forum located at irv2.com It might be wise to check it out from Winni Owners first hand. Alot of info there.

Fred.

fredh

03-14-2007, 11:51 AM

Ooops...it was Darwin I agree with about the Winnebago products.

jeanie

03-19-2007, 09:04 PM

I think these are the finest motor homes on the road. You can go down to Red Bay, Ala. and take their tour and see for yourself. Their customer service is the best around. If you need to return to the factory, they even have a campground you can stay at. The new Allegro Fred has a diesel motor in the front. It is very quite even at highway speeds.

We have been looking almost exclusively at pre-owned Newmars...ie: DutchStars and KountryStars...but recently saw a Tiffin Phaeton at the Tampa Bay RV Show and liked what we saw. We had toured both the Newmar and Monaco factories when we lived up north and decided on Newmar for quality and the Spartan Chassis. Now that we've been to a large Tiffin dealer, we're kind of wavering. Of course, the Phaeton is relatively new so there aren't too many pre-owned ones out there yet. I think we may be taking a trip to Red Bay, AL to tour their factory. Glad to hear you like yours.

rwjlrose1

03-22-2007, 09:46 PM

We have had both gas and diesel motorhomes and prefer the diesel, although it is costlier initially and to maintain. But it is nice to have the extra power when you need it. We currently have a 2005 Itasca Horizon, Model 40FD, with a 400 Cummins, which we bought new at the Fl dealer mentioned in some other posts. Those posts are right about after sale service....terribly slow and poor. We had a lot of early problems with the coach and found it very difficult and timeconsuming to get service under warranty from any Winnebago dealer. Was not impressed with Winnebago's quality control. Eventually took it to the Winnebago factory and they quickly fixed all the problems. Since then all has been ok and we are happy with it. The next new MH will be from a local dealer with a good reputation for service, even tho it will cost more upfront. As for fuel mileage, we get a solid 7mpg pulling a Hummer. I do use the cruise most of the time, and keep it right around the speed limit.

****

donbar

03-23-2007, 11:09 AM

We purchased a 2006 Georgetown XL378 last December. We moved up from a 5th wheel and are very satisfied with the product. It has a gas F10 engine, getting about 6-8 miles per gal, pulls the little car without a problem too. The rig has three slides, TV is down where it is enjoyable to watch with fireplace beneath it. The fireplace looks real, but all works ith mirors and lights, amazing and it heats the living area great, hardly ever have to use the propane. We could use more bedroom storage, but we were used to the 5th wheel in that way, we just needed to clear out some old stuff to lessen our load. We had it serviced twice for minor things and ws treated at the dealer in a prompt manner very much satisfiied with the service.

jbrad11

03-24-2007, 11:45 PM

Is this the dealer in Seffner right outside Tampa? If so...thank you, this is a good thing to know. We have been looking at trading from our fiver to a Class-A Diesel and have been shopping with these people...but...bad service will be a deal breaker... Thank you!

Ditto on the bad service at the dealer in Seffner just outside Tampa on I-4.
Regardless of what they promise, they don't deliver. It's like the song Hotel California, YOU CAN CHECK IN BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE! My last stop there I overheard one salesperson saying to another "were not happy until you're unhappy." How's that for a place to spend all of your hard earned money?

jbrad11

03-24-2007, 11:47 PM

Ditto on the bad service at the dealer in Seffner just outside Tampa on I-4.
Regardless of what they promise, they don't deliver. It's like the song Hotel California, YOU CAN CHECK IN BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE! My last stop there I overheard one salesperson saying to another "were not happy until you're unhappy." How's that for a place to spend all of your hard earned money?

jbrad11

03-24-2007, 11:49 PM

I plan to purchase another motorhome this year and would appreciate any advise anyone may have. I would like to purchase a 32' because of the area I have for parking. Gas or diesel? Brand? Any good advise on will be appreciated.
Thank you, Darwin
Darwin... any diesel out there at 32' is going to have a rough ride because of the short wheelbase. Best to concentrate on the gas product.

swaff43

03-29-2007, 03:39 AM

You're looking in the right direction - i.e. Newmar, Allegro, and Winnebago. We had a Winnebago Adventurer w/ 8.1 liter gas Workhorse chassis. It was a great coach. We lived near the selling dealer (LaMesa in Dixon, CA) and got good service, but had to go to the factory to get it all done really right. (Never did get satisfactory dash A/C, but rarely used it since we had the heat pump.) When we went full time, we had to go diesel for the storage and power.

We now have a 2005 Newmar Dutch Star - the last model year with a 3 year warranty from them. 350 Cummins ISL engine, Spartan Chassis - great combo. Get a solid 8 MPG towing a 4Runner and driving the speed limit (mostly.)

You are spot on buying from a local dealer! Live in it for the first few months and make them fix it. Getting service from another dealer is a hassle.

The main thing between ALL makes is FLOOR PLAN, FLOOR PLAN, FLOOR PLAN.And for us, bed size. We wanted a king bed and only a few models have that- and then it's an odd sized king (regardless of maker.) Forget ANY coach bed, unless it comes with a Sleep Number bed. And then go to ComfortAire to get the same thing for MUCH less$$. (ComfortAire is the orginal air bed manufacturer. Sleep Comfort was started by old ComfortAire employees, and costs so much more due to their extensive advertising!)

Probably more info than you wanted, but I can't sleep and this is therapy for me!

darwin

03-30-2007, 10:45 AM

jstephens

04-18-2007, 11:39 AM

My first motorhome was a 2000 Itasca Suncruiser - 35' gas with a Ford V10. We loved the coach and had great luck and reliability with it and Winnebago. Our dealer (Harberson RV in Holiday FL) was wonderful. We upgraded in 2005 to a diesel. The Itasca at the time was 5 years old and had 39000 miles. That is about the break point. We had to decide to upgrade or accept the fact that resale would plummet after that, and we would keep the coach for many more years. We upgraded to a 2005 Alfa Gold (40') on a Freightliner chassis with a 400 Cummins. We wanted to stay with Winnebago but there were no floor plans for the 40' Winnebagos in 2005 that suited our needs. Loved the chassis and engine on the Alfa, had some design and quality issues with the coach, and terrible luck with the new dealer (back three times - towing 61 miles to drop off the coach, then back to pick up etc - for each repair). They could never seem to get anything right the first (or second) time. We just traded the Alfa in on a 2007 Itasca Ellipse 40TD also with the Cummins 400. The main thing about a diesel is that it is so much quieter in the cockpit that you can carry on regular conversations versus a front engine rig - and the fact that used diesel units for sale don't even list the mileage on the rig - just the model year. We expect great things with Winnebago once again and are back with our original dealer as well. Please don't give up on the Journey based upon that one horror story. Every manufacturer has them.

minniemax

04-18-2007, 04:01 PM

Thank you to everyone who has replied to my post.
We are looking very close at the Sportscoach Crosscountry with the 300 Cummings Diesel engine. Does anyone have experience with the Sportscoach motorhomes or others equiped with the 300 HP Cummings. I am interested in fuel economy, power when in the mountains and quality of the coach.

In Louisiana the only hill around is crossing the Mississippi River Bridge and it did well climbing the bridge.

Thank you very much to everyone who has responded. We are getting close to making a decision and plan to buy something in May or June.

Darwin

We bought a 2006 CC Sport coach with the 300hp Cummins and just love it. We pull a 2006 Trailblazer with my 350lb wheelchair for a total weight of 5000lbs. Our mileage is averaging 8.5 mpg. The coach in general is outstanding. For a new one we have had a few minor problems which were cured by the dealer within a couple of hours. I would buy another one.

seatinkers

05-24-2007, 07:36 PM

Winnebago has had so many recalls you need to check the list they started around 2001 thru. Alfa See Ya..when you see alot of them for sale there is something wrong with them and I have heard from owners (because we were thinking of buying one) that they don't help with problems too well and they have had their problems too. Monaco has had problems too and then there is the Monday or Friday thing too LOL. I guess it is just the luck of the Rv you pick out but you most certainly want one where the company stands behind their product.

Newmar stands behind their coaches. I have been looking, talking to people and I have a friend that works on RVs and he says you can't beat Newmar quality, service etc. You very rarely see them for sale and when they are they go quickly.

My friend that works on RVs doesn't have anything nice to say about alot of RVs because of the way the RV Companies deal with issues/problems that owners have. After hearing the stories I really have to stick with Newmar... now if they can get a woman in there to design and do decor colors I will buy in a heartbeat.

darwin

06-15-2007, 06:16 PM

We have been shopping for several months, today we signed an agreement to purchase a 2007 37' Crosscounrty by Sportscoach. We will pick up Wednesday of next week. I will let everyone know what we think in a couple months.
Darwin

breenw

08-22-2007, 04:23 AM

We purchased our 2006 Georgie Boy Pursuit, 35 footer (gas) in January of this year. We recently took it on a trip to Branson, MO with some friends of ours who own a diesel Winnebago Adventurer. We averaged 8.5 mpg on this trip and were pulling an enclosed trailer with motorcycles. Our friend who owns the diesel Winny was really impressed with how our rig handled on the highway compared to his. It had alot more "pick-up" than his unit. Although we really like our Georgie Boy, we are considering becoming full timers and are looking to buy a larger unit. So now we need to begin the process of selling our unit and figuring out what to buy next........

darwin

11-27-2007, 07:34 AM

We purchased a 2007 Crosscountry 38' with a 300 HP Cummins DP and are very pleased. We just completed a 1500 mile trip to the Smokie Mountains. Three tanks of Diesel 9.0, 10.4 and 9.6 MPG. We were driving approx 63 MPH towing a Jeep Grand Cherkee. Power was good in the mountains. We have been very pleased the the Crosscountry motorhome. We expected minor problems with the coach and so far we have not been back to the dealer in approx 5 months.

racerx

12-27-2007, 10:18 AM

An industry standard is miles per year. If you will travel more than 38k per year a Diesel will pay off. If you travel less, owning a diesel will cost you. So, how important is it? The 2008 Diesel engines will cost more and will only take the new diesel fuel which will get easier to find in the future. Gas coaches get you 0-40 faster but don’t have the over all torque for towing. The diesel fuel tends to smell when burning and some people hate it. The important thing is to purchase your RV from a Professional RV Sales Person. This person will ask you all the appropriate questions to help with your buying decision not just try and sell you something.
Scott