keithos27 wrote:
I, too, appreciate all the insights and how Prevost is better than the 2nd tier options.
That being said - no one has taken a stab at answering questions around ride quality for the Zephyr vs Entegra or say a London Aire.
I can appreciate that Prevost are the top of the line chassis option.
Also, how can all the non-Prevost options be unsafe? I’m also looking to do ~10k miles / year. Dad, mom, two year old, and another on the way. This would be for traveling around in luxury.
Thank you all for the discussion!
Hi Keith,
Let me offer a few thoughts. We have had three Class A RV's and drove them with our gals over the full lower 48. Our last one was a 40DP bought new in 2005 and sold in 2017. We now have a fifth wheel with many upgrades. We also have weathered the experience of children and grandchildren toddlers.
In your shoes, I would have the following list of items to handle the needs of two toddlers for beds, playroom and bathrooms:
1. Two Bedrooms
2. Two Bathrooms
3. Stacked Washer-Dryer -- Rebuild Master Closet
4. Residential Refrigerator
5. Dishwasher -- Rebuild Island. All new countertops.
6. Instahot Water
The only RV that meets these specs is a Grand Design Momentum 397THS-R. You can see an example on changinglanesRV.com with Chad and Tara.
I understand the joy of driving a Class A with a 400ISL. But this is not compatible with the safety and child seats of a newborn and a two-year-old. The newborn should have a reverse position on a child seat until age two. The two year old will need a child seat when traveling. A crew cab F-350 DRW provides a much safer solution. I know the truck and fifth wheel is not as quick to load and set up, but suggest you might consider this. The toy hauler enables you to have a bedroom with crib, changing table, toddler bed and playroom.
If you choose this option, you will want to set a goal of 250 to 300 miles per day, with stops every hour or two. Use Google to locate a convenient big box store. You will need to hire a cabinet person to do the mods for the stacked washer-dryer and dishwasher. I did this on our RV for the Bosch dishwasher, the Miele stacked washer dryer and the Instahot, but you will be doing a larger mod. I would let DW pick out all of the countertops.
The truck would be as follows:
Ford F-350
1. Diesel Engine
2. IFS -- 4x2
3. DRW
4. Fifth Wheel Prep
5. Six Camera Mod
The IFS is important. While we have an F-250 with the 7.3 gas engine, my wife thinks the seat position and ride is very close to the comfort of our 40DP. We bought the 4x2 for this reason.
I understand this is a different plan, but suggest it fits much better for a family with two young children.
Best,
Charles
P.S. For what it is worth, I looked very hard at 45DP's in 2019, before we decided to buy the fifth wheel. I have not driven them, but looked carefully at the Essex, Zephyr and Cornerstone (and Anthem). If I were selecting a 45DP, it would be a Cornerstone. If you are interested in that, read the review of a 2016 model by Mark Q.
