Motorhome search, where to start
Hello all, My wife and I are looking to make the move from 5'er to MH. Not quite sure where to start looking. We plan to attend as many shows as possible, but would like input from here to guide ...
Forum Discussion
Tiffin has an excellent reputation for service. They have been known to fix many items after the warranty has expired. Bob Tiffin is known to get involved with many customers and is readily available many time.
What I find troubling is so many people know this. We have owned 3 Newmar units since 1999 (2000 DutchStar gasser, '03 Kountry Star DP, '08 Kountry Star DP), all purchased new. In 14 years of ownership we have made exactly 2 trips back to our deal for any type of service at all - the biggest being an air conditioner replacement, after the warranty expired, that Newmar took care of.
My parents Tiffin, in 1 year, did 2 dealer trips, one factory trip, and numerous trips to my garage. Friends of ours has an Allegro Bus that was constently in the shop. The final straw was when the previously factory repaired sidewall cracked again. They are now in a Winnebago gasser and happy. I'd rather have one that didn't need fixing to begin with - but thats me.
One the walls;
Laminated walls are just as the name suggests. A series of materials are layers together with glue sprayed between the layers. It's then (normally) placed in a large bag and pressed together while under vacuum. It is literally glued together. This provides the structal support of the wall.
Hung wall is more typical of house construction. Aluminum studs are placed on 16" centers and welded in place. Headers are used over the doors, windows, and slides. The framing is the structure. It is then covered with a fiberglass sheet, much like sheeting your house.
The big deal is when a laminated wall starts to delaminate there really isn't a way to fix it, and the structal integrity of the MH has been compromised. The damage is usually done before you see the evidence. You can't just re-attached the fiberglass as there is nothing to attach it to. As we all know, glue doesn't like heat or moisture, so too much of either of these will start the delamination process. With most it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. My S-I-L travel trailer started to delaminate in 2 years. Not good.
Hung wall doesn't rely on glue for structure. Years ago there was a post here where a Monaco owner had a leak. He found it by the swishing sound of the water trapped in his wall. His fix was simple; he found the source of the leak and stopped that. He then drilled a small hole in his exterior wall for the water to run out of. He then went inside and opened up a small portion of the interior wall to get at the inner wall. He dried everything out, replaced a small section of insulation, sealed up his drain hole and was done. That simply cannot be done with a laminated wall - take a look at my earlier pictures. We did the best we could but it is what it is.
Side Rad vs Rear;
We've had both, I prefer the side rad, it wouldn't be a deal breaker either way. The rear rad has a much greater tendancy to get dirty, which becomes a maintenance item. They can be cleaned, just something to be aware of. For me the biggest issue is engine access. Obviously a side rad offers easier engine access for belt inspections, oil changes, etc.
A rear rad normally will give you more storage space. Typically a rear rad is cntenstantly running, which uses HP. A side rad is hydraulically driven and only comes on when needed. The hydraulic system will need some occational maintenance, but not much.
The tag axle;
A tag axle is there to increase the weight capacity of the chassis. They also help stablize the ride. But...they also cut into the storage space. On a 40' or shorter unit it's a non-issue. Over 40' and I'd be looking for it.
Good luck with the search.
What I find troubling is so many people know this. We have owned 3 Newmar units since 1999 (2000 DutchStar gasser, '03 Kountry Star DP, '08 Kountry Star DP), all purchased new. In 14 years of ownership we have made exactly 2 trips back to our deal for any type of service at all - the biggest being an air conditioner replacement, after the warranty expired, that Newmar took care of.
My parents Tiffin, in 1 year, did 2 dealer trips, one factory trip, and numerous trips to my garage. Friends of ours has an Allegro Bus that was constently in the shop. The final straw was when the previously factory repaired sidewall cracked again. They are now in a Winnebago gasser and happy. I'd rather have one that didn't need fixing to begin with - but thats me.
One the walls;
Laminated walls are just as the name suggests. A series of materials are layers together with glue sprayed between the layers. It's then (normally) placed in a large bag and pressed together while under vacuum. It is literally glued together. This provides the structal support of the wall.
Hung wall is more typical of house construction. Aluminum studs are placed on 16" centers and welded in place. Headers are used over the doors, windows, and slides. The framing is the structure. It is then covered with a fiberglass sheet, much like sheeting your house.
The big deal is when a laminated wall starts to delaminate there really isn't a way to fix it, and the structal integrity of the MH has been compromised. The damage is usually done before you see the evidence. You can't just re-attached the fiberglass as there is nothing to attach it to. As we all know, glue doesn't like heat or moisture, so too much of either of these will start the delamination process. With most it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. My S-I-L travel trailer started to delaminate in 2 years. Not good.
Hung wall doesn't rely on glue for structure. Years ago there was a post here where a Monaco owner had a leak. He found it by the swishing sound of the water trapped in his wall. His fix was simple; he found the source of the leak and stopped that. He then drilled a small hole in his exterior wall for the water to run out of. He then went inside and opened up a small portion of the interior wall to get at the inner wall. He dried everything out, replaced a small section of insulation, sealed up his drain hole and was done. That simply cannot be done with a laminated wall - take a look at my earlier pictures. We did the best we could but it is what it is.
Side Rad vs Rear;
We've had both, I prefer the side rad, it wouldn't be a deal breaker either way. The rear rad has a much greater tendancy to get dirty, which becomes a maintenance item. They can be cleaned, just something to be aware of. For me the biggest issue is engine access. Obviously a side rad offers easier engine access for belt inspections, oil changes, etc.
A rear rad normally will give you more storage space. Typically a rear rad is cntenstantly running, which uses HP. A side rad is hydraulically driven and only comes on when needed. The hydraulic system will need some occational maintenance, but not much.
The tag axle;
A tag axle is there to increase the weight capacity of the chassis. They also help stablize the ride. But...they also cut into the storage space. On a 40' or shorter unit it's a non-issue. Over 40' and I'd be looking for it.
Good luck with the search.
