2006 Holiday Rambler Neptune 34 PDD (pros/cons?)

We have a 2003 Holiday Rambler Neptune, 34'. We've had it for about 10 years, with 5 of those years being full-timing.

Where to begin...

First of all, there was a recall on both the front and back trailing arms (not sure if the front ones are called "trailing arms" or something else). They were failing and causing accidents. Unfortunately, Monacco won't honor the recall (in other words, you'll have to pay to replace the parts) because Monacco was owned by somebody else when the faulty parts were installed. So the first thing you'll want to check out is whether or not this recall applies to the 2006 model or not. It may not.

Second, see how many air bags are on the 2006 model. Ours only has 4 airbags and, even after having a Ride Enhancement Kit installed (including new airbags, shocks, etc) it still isn't the greatest of smooth rides. Again, maybe the 2006 model has 8 airbags; I'm not sure.

Third, the brake system on the 2003 model has (I was told) some kind of inferior parts that can cause the calipers to overheat or seize. All I know is that I told a mechanic that I thought my brakes had overheated. He doubted it as he hadn't seen that happen with the brake system that he thought I had. Then he tore them apart, and realized that I did, indeed, have a different braking system than he thought. He said that he'd never seen this particular system on a DP before, only on gas RV's and that, yes, they were prone to problems. That one cost me several thousand dollars because both the front and back brakes ended up seizing within the span of only a month or two. Again, does the 2006 model have the same brake system? I don't know, but it's something that you'll want to look into.

Since the trailing arms were replaced and the brakes fixed-other than the rather rough ride at times-I really can't complain about the RV. All RV's have their faulty parts, etc; it seems to go with RVing. If I were to do it again, however, I'd try to find an RV with an 8 airbag system, not four. And I'd check into any recalls before purchasing.

bluebarry1964b wrote:

Thanks! for the insights and first hand experience. I really appreciate your advice. Sorry HR didn't stand behind the repair.

I read one other review mentioning rough ride wearing the driver out in 4 hrs.

Having just started our serious search, I think I'll keep looking and/or take time to research the excellent concerns you raised.

Thanks again.