Generators - brand differences?
OK, our search for a used Class A is becoming narrower each day. After driving all over, I think that there are two fairly close to us that fit our needs and budget: The leader is: 2007 Damon Day...
Forum Discussion
The die has been cast.....
And our choice? The Winnie for the win!
As the layouts were nearly identical, both on a 2006 MY Ford F-53 chassis (3-valve), our selection had more to do with build quality, my "likes" (fiberglass roof, Banks Power System installed) and finally, a known starting point. The Damon, while one model year newer, and with a third of the number of miles left me wondering about some things. There wasn't any service information available. On the Winnie, the PO has records showing service every 5K miles, obvious attention to the unit, and the difference between the two gensets for in-coach noise levels was quite appreciable. The Damon had been on the lot for nine months. It needed six new tires, and the consignor wasn't going to lower the price any further (it is financed, asking price puts it underwater). Also the revelation that it came onto the lots with a howling rear differential (which was fixed) made me wonder how well that unit had been maintained. It was being sold due to a divorce. We just had an "iffy" feeling about the deal. I have to admit, it was hard to not choose the unit that still had that new motor home smell to it.
So, that is not to say that there weren't some odd things about the Winnie though. As small as that coach was, the PO had added a brand new unducted 13,500 btu AC in the forward vent. It was neatly installed and the wiring is run through the ceiling - I don't know if it was prewired from the factory. Since the coach is 30 amp service, a separate power cord (20 amp) is located in the electrical bay. So, if you get too warm at a location where you have hookups, you string that separate cord out to the pedestal and plug it in to power up the second AC unit. At first I was thinking that maybe the dash AC had gone out and this was some half-asked jury rigging, but the salesman said the PO just liked to be able to stay cool while out in the full sun. That made sense to me. The dash AC worked while we were on the test drive. The other thing that seemed odd was that in the electrical bay there is a 30 amp female plug. It appears that in order to power the coach from the generator you have to plug the coach feed into that receptacle. I don't know if that was how the system was originally designed to work, but I looked at the distribution box everything was wired through and it all appears to meet code (NEMA, IEEE) and was done in a workmanlike fashion. I was told that this used to be a fairly common setup for Class C's. I guess that as long as I remember to plug the coach cord up before we get underway we'll be OK if we start the generator while on the road.
We bought through PPL in Cleburne. You can see the links to the units we had narrowed our choices down to in my first post.
So, what really drove our choice was build quality. For someone like me, that sounds very subjective and arbitrary. Any salesman for the brand you're looking at can point out features that the other coach doesn't have. Well, since there is absolutely no sales pressure at a PPL lot, the unit sells itself. Some of the things we liked in the Winnie were the double pane glass windows, the tanks sensors being mounted on the outside of the tank, the Day/Night shades (vice mini blinds), more sturdier cabinets and the dinette was more robust where the seatbacks were. On the Damon they were so flimsy that we thought they may break if you reared back to hard in them. Yes, the Damon had one pass-through storage area all the way in the back, but it wasn't large enough to carry a spare (mounted or not). You may have been able to wrangle one into the space above the LPG tank, but it would have been a challenge. The Winnie had a dedicated compartment for a mounted spare (and one in there to boot). I will admit though that it wasn't very well thought out - the compartment is chest high in the bedroom slide (under head of bed). I am going to come up with some type of narrow ramp to help with that. I will readily admit that I liked the dashboard layout of the Damon far more than the Winnie.
Anyway, we held our breath and made our choice over a leisurely lunch at an Italian restaurant. I still don't know how we went from solidly sold on the Damon to opting for the Winnie. A human mind is a complicated thing apparently - and relies on intuition for complicated decisions. Wish us luck! Oh, and the PO was selling the unit to upgrade. I wish him the best of luck with his search and selection. May he find a 40 footer with and ISX and all the bells and whistles (if that's what he wants).
BTW - what is an "AutoTrac" system? There is an adjustment on the dash for it. I looked and there appears to be some type of electrical connection running to a motor mounted to what appears to be a steering damper of some sort. It reminded me of a C-Band satellite dish mover, or gate opener.
ETA - I just wanted to add that I am aware of the fact that I am comparing entry-level coaches from both manufacturers.
And our choice? The Winnie for the win!
As the layouts were nearly identical, both on a 2006 MY Ford F-53 chassis (3-valve), our selection had more to do with build quality, my "likes" (fiberglass roof, Banks Power System installed) and finally, a known starting point. The Damon, while one model year newer, and with a third of the number of miles left me wondering about some things. There wasn't any service information available. On the Winnie, the PO has records showing service every 5K miles, obvious attention to the unit, and the difference between the two gensets for in-coach noise levels was quite appreciable. The Damon had been on the lot for nine months. It needed six new tires, and the consignor wasn't going to lower the price any further (it is financed, asking price puts it underwater). Also the revelation that it came onto the lots with a howling rear differential (which was fixed) made me wonder how well that unit had been maintained. It was being sold due to a divorce. We just had an "iffy" feeling about the deal. I have to admit, it was hard to not choose the unit that still had that new motor home smell to it.
So, that is not to say that there weren't some odd things about the Winnie though. As small as that coach was, the PO had added a brand new unducted 13,500 btu AC in the forward vent. It was neatly installed and the wiring is run through the ceiling - I don't know if it was prewired from the factory. Since the coach is 30 amp service, a separate power cord (20 amp) is located in the electrical bay. So, if you get too warm at a location where you have hookups, you string that separate cord out to the pedestal and plug it in to power up the second AC unit. At first I was thinking that maybe the dash AC had gone out and this was some half-asked jury rigging, but the salesman said the PO just liked to be able to stay cool while out in the full sun. That made sense to me. The dash AC worked while we were on the test drive. The other thing that seemed odd was that in the electrical bay there is a 30 amp female plug. It appears that in order to power the coach from the generator you have to plug the coach feed into that receptacle. I don't know if that was how the system was originally designed to work, but I looked at the distribution box everything was wired through and it all appears to meet code (NEMA, IEEE) and was done in a workmanlike fashion. I was told that this used to be a fairly common setup for Class C's. I guess that as long as I remember to plug the coach cord up before we get underway we'll be OK if we start the generator while on the road.
We bought through PPL in Cleburne. You can see the links to the units we had narrowed our choices down to in my first post.
So, what really drove our choice was build quality. For someone like me, that sounds very subjective and arbitrary. Any salesman for the brand you're looking at can point out features that the other coach doesn't have. Well, since there is absolutely no sales pressure at a PPL lot, the unit sells itself. Some of the things we liked in the Winnie were the double pane glass windows, the tanks sensors being mounted on the outside of the tank, the Day/Night shades (vice mini blinds), more sturdier cabinets and the dinette was more robust where the seatbacks were. On the Damon they were so flimsy that we thought they may break if you reared back to hard in them. Yes, the Damon had one pass-through storage area all the way in the back, but it wasn't large enough to carry a spare (mounted or not). You may have been able to wrangle one into the space above the LPG tank, but it would have been a challenge. The Winnie had a dedicated compartment for a mounted spare (and one in there to boot). I will admit though that it wasn't very well thought out - the compartment is chest high in the bedroom slide (under head of bed). I am going to come up with some type of narrow ramp to help with that. I will readily admit that I liked the dashboard layout of the Damon far more than the Winnie.
Anyway, we held our breath and made our choice over a leisurely lunch at an Italian restaurant. I still don't know how we went from solidly sold on the Damon to opting for the Winnie. A human mind is a complicated thing apparently - and relies on intuition for complicated decisions. Wish us luck! Oh, and the PO was selling the unit to upgrade. I wish him the best of luck with his search and selection. May he find a 40 footer with and ISX and all the bells and whistles (if that's what he wants).
BTW - what is an "AutoTrac" system? There is an adjustment on the dash for it. I looked and there appears to be some type of electrical connection running to a motor mounted to what appears to be a steering damper of some sort. It reminded me of a C-Band satellite dish mover, or gate opener.
ETA - I just wanted to add that I am aware of the fact that I am comparing entry-level coaches from both manufacturers.
